 "Photo: Courtesy Coleen Cicale")
It’s one thing for a social work professor to lecture students on the importance of helping those stricken with poverty.
It’s another thing entirely for a professor to actually provide students with some real-life experience assisting the less fortunate.
Eileen Abel, an associate professor of social work, however, managed to accomplish both.
Abel’s class — Macro Level Roles and Interventions in Social Work Practice — took place during Summer C.
According to Abel, the objective of the class is to “look at how we use the resource system and communities and organizations to empower people.”
This summer, Abel’s class worked with Jewish Family Services, an organization that is dedicated “to enhance family life and to meet the human service needs of individuals and families residing in the greater Orlando community,” according to the the group’s website.
They embarked on a project called School Matters, an annual back-to-school drive that focuses on assisting elementary and middle school students whose families, as a result of the recent economic recession, cannot afford school supplies.
The goal of Abel’s class was to donate 50 backpacks loaded with school supplies to families in need.
To do this, Abel divided her 37-student class into teams, each one contributing a separate role in the project.
The teams ranged from communications to reading and writing.
Abel and her students proved that hard work and determination go a long way, and the small class yielded big results.
The class rallied enough support to get hundreds of school items donated to them.
As a result, Abel’s class finished with enough items to give about 60 academically equipped backpacks to the less fortunate.
The backpacks include an assortment of supplies, from colored pencils to glue sticks to hand sanitizers.
Abel had nothing but positive things to say about her students.
“Our students used a lot of initiative, did a fantastic job and applied many of their skills,” Abel said. “They learned that some people truly suffer more in downturn economy. I really think students were amazed they could do so much in so little time working together.”
“I didn’t know a lot about macro social work before taking this course,” said Coleen Cicale, a senior and one of Abel’s students. “But I wanted to be able to help the oppressed and underrepresented.”
As the course draws to a close, however, Cicale is confident that she became a more efficient student and is elated that she was able to improve the lives of others.
“I learned how to write a press release, and I learned how to portray myself in a professional manner,” Cicale said. “I thought it was amazing to give students the idea that they are cared for.”
The students in Abel’s class put their backpacks together Tuesday.
“I really appreciate what (Abel) is doing,” said Andrienne Cooperman, the program manager for Emergency Services at JFS. “I think they’ve done an amazing job, and I can’t wait to see them put their backpacks together.”
Students who would like to learn more about School Matters or JFS are encouraged to call 407-644-7593 or visit www.jfsorlando.org.
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