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.
Volunteers Needed:
Help distribute groceries to neighbors visiting the monthly Northern Illinois Food Bank Mobile Markets. Volunteers are needed from 9 to 10 a.m. and 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 6 and June 3. If you or someone you know is food insecure, please share the information with them.
COD will host the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall May 29 to June 2 on campus. Donate your time to make this experience impactful for our community. Compensated Service Hours may be used.
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