OCTOBER Boiler OUT Times. The Good Things We Did in Greater Lafayette Area. Boiler OUT Community Partners in Fall 2017

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1 OCTOBER 2017 Boiler OUT Times The Good Things We Did in Greater Lafayette Area Boiler OUT Community Partners in Fall 2017 Boiler OUT Times, Volume 1 Issue 2, 10/27/2017 Edited by Ayo Adetunji aadetunj@purdue.edu and Yichen Fan fan151@purdue.edu Published by Boiler OUT Volunteer Program boilerout@purdue.edu Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research (CILMAR) Purdue University Young Hall, Room South Grant Street West Lafayette, IN Phone: Fax:

2 Open-loop October Trick or treat volunteers and community partners, Happy Halloween Month! October is always the favorite time of the year for Boiler OUT - several annual celebration events returned this month, including Feast of Hunters Moon, Boo at the Zoo and Aster Place Haunted House. And yes, Boiler OUT volunteers helped making these events happen! Picture highlights of these events can be found in this newsletter. This month s Boiler In features Purdue University Office of Campus Master Planning & Sustainability, who commits to find innovative ways and a comprehensive approach to live sustainably on campus. In this newsletter, we want to introduce our beloved community partners. You can find a map of them and a special interview with Mental Health America. I know we ve been heavily focused on volunteers in the program, but none of these would happen without our fellow partners. Not only do they mentor volunteers to finish the work, they are also passionate about their organizations and teach volunteers related social issues. As the weather cools down, we bid adieu to another wonderful summer. We at Boiler OUT would like to invite all volunteers and community partners to our end-of-the-semester party. Food, friends and fun! It is a token of our appreciation for all of your dedications and services this fall. Join us on Sunday, December 3rd from 12-2pm. You are welcome to come and go as your schedule allows. If you are a volunteer, please sign up as an event at Boiler OUT website, so that we can order enough food for you. We are still looking for volunteers and organizations to be featured in the newsletter! If you would like your name and story known by more people, please contact us, the editors, or talk to your event leader. Any comments or suggestions, such as things you want to see next month, are also welcome! Don t forget our friendly competition of Spotlight of the Week on social media. Simply join it by posting your volunteering pictures on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram with #BoilerOutNovember. Kudos to you all for the good things you did this past month. Stay warm and keep helping out in November! Your Editor, Ayo Adetunji Yichen Fan aadetunj@purdue.edu fan151@purdue.edu Nami Fall Classic Walk and Run 2K17 with Ms. Indianapolis - Nichelle Jones October 18 Mental Health America Halloween Party October 10

3 Partner Spotlight - A conversation with Erin Walter, MHA Director of Community Services Q: Tell us a bit about your organization. A: Mental Health America of Tippecanoe offers mental health education, advocacy and referrals to residents. We operate the Crisis Center that takes calls across the state 24/7. Q: How has MHA impacted the Greater Lafayette community? A: Our mission is Achieving greater mental health in Tippecanoe County and offer, including the above listed services, supportive services such as the Compeer program, Supportive Housing and support groups. Q: How does the organization get new clients? A: Clients can either self-refer or be referred by a mental health care professional. Many people find us just from our website or word-of-mouth. Q: How do the clients feel when they leave? A: Our goal is for clients to feel valued, respected and have had their needs met. Q: What does it take to be a fulltime staff at MHA? A: Staff comes from a variety of educational backgrounds, but all desire to help people achieve better mental health. Q: What does the Compeer Circle in MHA Compeer Circle signify? A: Compeer Circle is part of the Compeer program, which matches people who have mental illnesses and in need of some socialization with a community member that takes some time with them every month to do something fun. Most people at the Compeer Circle are unmatched Compeer clients. This is just a fun time for clients to get out of their homes and talk with other people. It s very helpful for some clients who tend to isolate themselves. Q: As the name suggests, MHA is an American organization. what is its impact nationwide? A: Mental Health America of Tippecanoe County, Inc. is one of the 340 affiliates of National MHAs, working to improve the mental health of all Americans, especially the 54 million people with mental disorders, through advocacy, education, research and service. MHAs provide public educational programs, information and referrals, support groups, rehabilitation services, socialization and housing services to those confronting mental health challenges and their loved ones. Many affiliates also have advocacy services for parents and children with serious emotional disturbances, mentoring relationships for adults recovering from mental illnesses, and professional education to those working in the mental health field. Affiliates strive to influence public policy at the local, state, and national level to ensure fair and effective treatment to the millions of Americans experiencing mental health challenges. Q: What would you say the best thing about MHA is? A: For me, the best thing about MHA is knowing that the clients are getting the support they need to achieve better mental health. Q: What is your advice to future Boiler OUT volunteers? A: Come with an open mind and be prepared to have fun! Mental Health America of Tippecanoe County, Inc. 914 South Street Lafayette, IN Phone: Fax:

4 October Highlights Feast of Hunters Moon, Sept 30 - Oct 1 Aster Place Haunted House, Oct 19 Boo at the Zoo, Oct 25-27

5 Hallowe en Fun Facts Many of us are going to get into those costumes we ve been planning for months to attend the crazy dress-up parties, or maybe we could take part in the trick or treat ritual and stock up on that Halloween candy supply. For those that have never experienced Halloween before, I hope that you took advantage of the numerous events that happened on campus and around Lafayette. If not, the famed horror day is just around the corner. But what is this day really about? Luckily, we ve got you covered. Here are a few facts about Halloween to wow your date (or friends, it 2017, we re not judging). 1. Jack o lanterns (basically lanterns made out of carved pumpkins) are named after Jack, a stingy man who tricked the devil and was condemned to wander the Earth. 2. Vanilla Ice and Willow Smith were born on Halloween. 3. On the more gruesome spectrum, Harry Houdini, only the best magician the world has ever seen, died on Halloween. 4. If you wear your clothes inside out and walk backwards on Halloween, you d probably see a witch at midnight. 5. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween, gotten from the word Samhain, a Gaelic festival marking the end of harvest season and beginning of winter (and so happens to fall on Halloween). 6. Americans spend about $6 billion on Halloween annually 7. Halloween is regarded as the 3rd biggest party after New Year s and Super Bowl Sunday. 8. A spider on this day represents the spirit of a dead loved one 9. Black cats were used for witch rituals 10. When Druids built fires to ensure the sun would rise after the long winter, they threw bones of cattle into the fire, hence the name Bonfire. 11. Irish-Americans are responsible for the pumpkin carving we love.