2008 HOPE Day of Service
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The 2008 HOPE Day of Service (August 11th, 2008) is an opportunity to spend the day brightening the lives of individuals in the Miami-Dade and Broward communities. Groups of volunteers go to a variety of agencies in order to provide assistance. Not only does this day help to benefit the lives of those within the community, but it is also a great opportunity to meet classmates and become orientated with the community.

List of Sites:

The Barnacle Historic State Park
The Barnacle, built in 1891, offers a glimpse of Old Florida during The Era of the Bay. The home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, a pioneer of Coconut Grove, the house sits on the shore of Biscayne Bay. The park maintains one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock, the original landscape of the region. The rich history of early Miami becomes clear in Munroe’s home. Munroe expanded his small bungalow in 1908 and the structure stood strong and resistant to a century of hurricanes. Surrounding Munroe’s house is a tropical hardwood hammock, representative of the original landscape. Munroe preserved the hammock between the road and the house, cutting a thin bunny trail for easy access. Today, the hammock contains many old trees.

The Barnacle is a great place to get acquainted with the rich culture of Miami and the historic environment maintained around the house. The house is filled with treasures found on Munroe’s journeys to shipwrecks and his successful yacht designs. Anyone interested in preserving the environment can be inspired by Munroe’s preservation of the last piece of the Miami Hammock.

HOPE Day volunteers will help with maintaining the great historical landscape and removing exotic plants. The Barnacle will provide all the tools needed. Please bring water, gloves, sunscreen and insect repellent. It is recommended that volunteers wear comfortable outdoor clothing.

Bay Point
Bay Point Schools is an accredited Miami-Dade County public alternative school that provides a critical community service by helping at-risk teenage boys complete a successful residential boarding school program. The focus is turning “troubled” boys into productive citizens. Bay Point operates at three locations: the Kennedy Campus houses 150 young men whose ages range from 13 – 18 years old; the North Campus which houses approximately 25 youths whose ages range from 13 – 15 years old; and the Kendall Campus which also houses approximately 25 youths whose ages range from 14 – 17 years old.

University of Miami Law students are invited to delve into the Juvenile Justice aspect of this service project. Before heading out to one of the three locations, students will be briefed on the legal component of this event, how the Bay Point students are accepted into the program, why these particular youths are at-risk, and what we as a community can do to help. At each of the three locations, project leaders and volunteers will present a relevant topic and interact individually with a selected group of young men. Topics may range from: how to apply for college, how to fill out a job application, alternatives to college, and how to present yourself at a job interview. Student volunteers are asked to pull from their own life experiences in order to help guide these youth toward having a productive future.

Miscellaneous: No preparation required, casual attire, carpooling can be arranged and is encouraged, pizza lunch provided, ability to interact well with teenage young men a plus, possibility of future mentoring involvement with Bay Point.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Discovered and named by Ponce De Leon in 1513, Cape Florida is the home of a historic lighthouse built in 1825 and reconstructed in 1846. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. Bill Baggs not only provides visitors with beach front activities, canoeing and kayaking and beautiful hiking trails, but also sheds and insight into South Florida with its historic lighthouse. The park is also part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom which works to educate about slavery at historical sites connected to the Underground Railroad. Today, the lighthouse and Cape Florida serve as a recreational oasis just south of downtown Miami.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is the ideal volunteer location for anyone interested in diving deeper into the history and culture of South Florida. Volunteers at the park will participate in planting activities which will begin at 9 am. Be sure to bring insect repellant and sunscreen. Please wear closed toed shoes and long pants. The park will provide volunteers with used leather gloves and iced tap water.

1200 S. Crandon Blvd.
Driving Directions from UM:
Take US-1 North
Merge onto US-1 N toward Brickell Avenue
Turn right onto Rickenbacker Causeway (Partial Toll Road)
Continue on Rickenbacker Causeway until the end

Camillus House
Camillus House has provided humanitarian services to the indigent and homeless populations of Miami-Dade County, Florida for more than 40 years. Established by the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd in 1960, Camillus House has grown steadily over the years from a small overnight shelter into a full service center offering a full “continuum of care” for the poor and homeless.

Every service offered at Camillus is carried out with the deeply held belief that every human being is precious and deserves love, respect, and a chance to live a dignified life. Camillus does much more than offer a free meal, medical care, a shower, or drug treatment. It offers a second chance to the desperate, the lonely, and the ones society has left behind. Many of the clients who come to Camillus House have nowhere else to go. They have no friends, no family, and no loved ones to help them through their times of trouble. Camillus House becomes their family, giving them the hope and support they need to begin the long, difficult transition to a new life and self-sufficiency.

HOPE Day of Service Volunteers will prepare and serve food to poor and homeless individuals while provided with an opportunity to learn about the myriad of issues facing one of Miami’s most vulnerable and marginalized populations.
Please note that HOPE is currently exploring the opportunity to partner with Camillus House to develop a long-term legal advocacy project.

Address: 726 NE 1st Ave, Miami FL 33132
Attire: Please wear long pants and rubber soled shoes/sneakers. No shorts, tank tops, or open-toed footwear.

Misc. Info:
Max volunteers: 12 (but no minimum)
Volunteers will be on site from 9:30 – 1:00 (or 1:30 if they can stay behind to help break down and clean up)

Centro Campesino
Centro Campesino is a South Florida non-profit rural development organization which supports economic self-sufficiency. The center works to improve the quality of life of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their children as well as other families of low income. They provide families of all races and ethnic backgrounds with opportunities for homeownership, family strengthening, education, community building and advocacy for equal opportunity. Volunteers will help program participants with voter registration and education regarding the changes to the upcoming voting system. Spanish speakers are strongly encouraged to register for this event.

35801 SW 186 Avenue, Florida City

Community Partnership for the Homeless - Downtown
Serving South Florida since 1995, the Community Partnership for the Homeless assists the homeless men, women and children of Miami-Dade in their pursuit of self-sustaining lives. As a private sector partner of the Miami Dade County Homeless Trust, CPH is a national model for helping the homeless. The centerpiece of CPH is the Homeless Assistance Centers which operate as temporary-care entry points that provide food, shelter, case management, healthcare, daycare and job training.

Spending HOPE Day at the Community Partnership for the Homeless is an ideal volunteer and learning opportunity for students interested in a variety of legal issues. Volunteers will assist with beautifying the center as well as with its basic day-to-day functions.

1550 N. Miami Avenue
If taking the metrorail:
Take the metro north to downtown and then take the metromover off at "School Board Exit"

FANM
FANM works to empower Haitian women and their families socially, economically and politically and help them adjust to life in South Florida and the United States. They run a variety of programs to make the transition easier including programs that focus on the cultural adjustment needs of Haitian families and development of children through education and outreach, provide health care access to the uninsured and underinsured, after school tutoring assistance and immigrant advocacy for detained Haitian immigrants. FANM also recently opened a legal clinic to provide assistance and representation to victims of domestic abuse.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to assist with FANM’s Voter Registration Drive.

Florida Club Care
The Florida Club Care Center is a unique private health care facility. With different floors devoted to different patient groups, the Center serves the elderly, children and those needing long-term care. The center offers nursing care for the elderly as well as rehabilitative care, pain management and short term care. Programs in the pediatric center focus on the individual child and include school work and holiday celebrations.

HOPE Day volunteers will have the opportunity to work with the pediatric, elderly or long-term care floor.
220 Sierra Drive

Good Hope Equestrian
Established in 1999, the Good Hope Equestrian Training Center is a nonprofit organization that provides disabled individuals with the opportunity to participate in activities that increase their independence and quality of life. With 20 acres of grounds, the equestrian training center offers unique educational, rehabilitative, recreational and vocational programs serving the South Florida community. Good Hope is the only center in the country that serves as a multi-faceted program providing Adult Day Training, Non- Residential support services, supported employment, therapies and therapeutic horseback riding instruction.

Volunteers will help in mentoring adults with various disabilities in the areas of academics and computer technology as well as assist with barn related activities such as horse handler, side walker or spotter during therapeutic horseback riding lessons for children with various disabilities. No previous experience with horses is required. Volunteers will need to wear the following attire: t-shirt (no provocative language), pants or long shorts and sneakers.

22155 SW 147th Avenue

Miami River Commission
The Miami River Commission is the official clearinghouse for all public policy and projects relating to the Miami River, as designated by the Florida Legislature in 1998. The Miami River runs 5.5 miles from Biscayne Bay through the heart of downtown Miami. The Commission works to ensure that government agencies, businesses and residents work together on river issues.

During the land boom of the 1920s, as the population grew from isolated farmers to a developed city, storm water and sewage flowed into the river and Biscayne Bay. The environmental consciousness of the 1970s led to increased attention to the health of the river. By 1998, the Commission formed in hopes to bring a sharp change in the health of the river. Today, the Commission works to create greenways, improve water quality, enforce regulations, depose of derelict vessels, dredge the river and develop surrounding areas in a beneficial way.

HOPE Day volunteers will aid the Commission in greening the area by landscaping and removing litter and weeds. Volunteering with the Commission presents a great opportunity to help the environment. Please bring water, sunscreen and insect repellant, and wear closed toed shoes. We will provide you with a pair of gloves and garbage bags. Volunteers will meet at 9:30 at the intersection of South River Drive and NW 1ST Street.

Driving Directions from UM:
US 1 North becomes I-95 north
take the SW 8 ST exit
continue straight through light along SW 3 Ave
left on SW 6 ST
right on SW 4 Ave which automatically becomes South River Drive
proceed beneath the 1 ST Bridge and the Flagler Bridge and then stop at NW 1 St and South River Drive

Neat Stuff, Inc.
Neat Stuff serves children from birth to age 18 who are in foster care, shelters, or are referred by participating agencies. These children, and those who care for them, face many challenges. Neat Stuff provides them with new clothes, books and toys. The organization operates a store where these children can shop for new clothing and toys - free. Neat Stuff provides presents, prom dresses and Halloween costumes to children.
Those volunteering at Neat Stuff will assist in the store folding, organizing and distributing clothes to under-privileged families.

2624 N.W. 21 Terrace
Driving Directions from UM:
Take US-1 North
Turn left on FL-9/SW 27th Avenue/Unity Boulevard
Turn right onto NW 21st Terrace

Non-Violence Project
Founded to significantly change the lives of at-risk youth, the Non-Violence Project works to find alternatives to negative behavior and serve as a motivation for young people to take positive action. Programs include mentorships between college students in the AmeriCorps program and local middle and high school students, programs designed to increase Hispanic representation in higher education, a non-violence club intended to create positive behavior reinforcement within the schools, groups that enable students to talk about a variety of issues, leadership opportunities for students to create educational programs for their peers, a female empowerment program and programs to encourage youth volunteer work within the community.

Volunteers will go to one of the centers the Non-Violence Projects utilizes and help beautify the facility and plant in the garden to provide the best possible services to at-risk children.

Pelican Harbor Seabird Station
Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (PHSS) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured and orphaned wild birds in and around Miami's Biscayne Bay. While the majority of their patients are seabirds, they accept any injured wild bird that is brought to their facility. Many rehabilitation centers choose to specialize in a particular group of animals, as do they at the Seabird Station. The Seabird Station was originally founded in 1980 for the sole purpose of rehabilitating injured brown pelicans. They have grown dramatically since then and their facility now receives thousands of injured birds each year. In 2003, they treated 78 different species, with patients ranging in size and type from Finches to a Flamingo.

1279 NE 79th Street Causeway
Take US-1 North
Merge onto I-95 North
Take exit 7 for NW 79th Street/SR-934 toward NW 81st Street
Turn right at NW 79th Street/SR-934 E

Shake-A-Leg Miami

Shake-A-Leg Miami has been the premier aquatic outlet on Biscayne Bay for a diverse community of challenged cultures for more than 15 years.  A state-of-the-art facility, which encompasses five acres on South Bayshore Drive in Coconut Grove, manned by a full-time staff of 24 and enhanced by 250 volunteers, serves as the waterfront home away from home for more than 3,000 children and adults with disabilities. Educational, recreational and vocational programs for youth, adults and families make this an unparalleled comprehensive community center.

At Shake-A-Leg Miami, we don't believe in walls; we believe in water. It's our mission to make learning fun and innovative. We use text books and computer programs, but we add the experiential education of active participation. Through the use of hands-on, experiential education, we've designed engaging programs that put the natural act of learning into the hands of our students.

By using the natural environment of Biscayne Bay as a giant organic classroom, we learn by doing. Our facility of classrooms, laboratories and our fleet of boats allow learning to come alive while paddling in a kayak to an island, sailing to visit historical sites and exploring the natural wonders of Biscayne Bay.

12-16 HOPE Day volunteers are needed to assist with an eco-island or site cleanup. Bring water, sunscreen and insect repellant.

Address: 2620 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove, FL 33133.  Just south of Monty’s restaurant on the water.

Virginia Key Beach
Opened in 1945, Virginia Key Beach was the first Dade County Beach designated for African American use. Spurred by segregated “White Only” beaches across the county, Judge Lawson E. Thomas staged a protest at Baker’s Haulover County Park in North Miami in the summer of 1945. By that August, Virginia Key Beach opened to serve only the African American community. With its dance floor and family feel, the Beach remained popular with African Americans even after county beaches were desegregated in the 1960’s. In 1982, ownership of the beach transferred from the county to the City of Miami, which closed the beach soon after. After two decades of neglect, the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust formed to restore the beach to its former glory. After extensive renovations, the restored park reopened in February.
Virginia Key Beach Park is a great place to learn about Miami’s social history and the progression of civil rights in America.

Volunteers are asked to bring sunscreen and, approximately, 3 bottles of water.
3680 Rickenbacker Causeway

Driving Directions from UM:
Take US-1 North
Merge onto US-1 N toward Brickell Avenue
Turn right onto Rickenbacker Causeway (Partial Toll Road)

3485 Main Highway
Driving directions from UM:
Take US-1 North
Turn right at SW 37th Ave/S Douglas Road
Turn left at Grand Ave
Turn right at Commodore Plaza
Turn right at Main Highway