The College’s volunteer corps, COD Cares actively supports and strengthens College of DuPage communities by fostering a culture of service among College employees, students and community members.
Time to Roll Up Your Sleeves COD!
Protect the environment and serve our community this April during COD Cares' annual Roll Up Your Sleeves campaign. This year we are offering a month's worth of service opportunities both on and off campus. What you do now can change our future. Compensated service hours are available.
Monday, April 22
Spring Wildflower Walk
11 a.m. to noon
Location: Ecological Study Area Woodland
Join us for a guided tour of the Ecological Study Area which contains our main woodland here on campus. You will learn about the importance of our spring wildflowers and help identify many species that grow here on campus.
Tuesday, April 23
Repurpose Water Bottle Project: Final Phase
Pop-In Event
10 a.m.to 1 p.m.
Location: Wings Student Art Gallery, SSC 2210
Time to tie it all together. We need lots of hands to affix water bottle ribbons to the frame and create stunning art out of waste. Make sure to bring your friends, classmates and office team. You won't want to miss the finished masterpiece.
Wednesday, April 24
Feed My Starving Children
2 to 3:45 p.m.
Location: 555 Exchange Court, Aurora
Climate change has made it difficult for many countries to provide food to sustain their people. Feed My Starving Children is dedicated to providing nutritious meals to children worldwide. Be a world changer. Register for a meal pack event off campus. Transportation is available.
Gift of Giving 2023
Gnome-body Does it Better
COD Community, you outdid yourselves! Did you gnome, Gift of Giving 2023 was our most successful to date?
Highlights:
- Lifelines Documentary Premiere – Finding Your Way Home: Facing Housing and Food Insecurity
- Annual Sleep Out Saturday Rally hosted at Lakeside Pavilion in partnership with Bridge Communities. The awareness and fundraising activity brought more than 150 people to campus. Student and staff volunteers served soup and bread made by COD culinary students as we heard from Bridge Communities program graduates.
- Two Northern Illinois Food Bank mobile markets, providing more than 250 families with groceries and other essential items
- 16 community organization partnerships to collect and distribute winter coats, gloves, hats, scarves, blankets, bedding, toiletries, household supplies, children’s clothing, groceries, ethnically diverse pantry staples, pet food and treats, toys, books, games, adult cold weather gear and grocery gift cards.
Three on-campus pop-up activities:
- Holiday-themed cards designed by COD Graphic Design students and written by staff and students for deployed military personnel, veterans and senior citizens
- More than 200 warming bags for homeless neighbors
- Hundreds of wrapped small gifts by more than 500 Gift of Giving send-off participants to include on Meals on Wheels trays for seniors
Off-campus service activities where volunteers:
- Filled pantry shelves and sorted/selected gifts for families supported by Humanitarian Service Project
- Stuffed stockings for deployed military served by Operation Support Our Troops
- Decorated two transitional homes administered by Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
Thank you for your generous spirit!
Check out the Gift of Giving photo album.
Contact Information
Joan DiPiero
Community Engagement Coordinator
(630) 942-3872
Email: dipieroj@cod.edu