Strong Community
Hampton University launches literary reading series promoting community dialogue: Hampton University's Department of English welcomes a variety of poets and writers for the HU Literary Reading Series, funded by a $3,000 grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The series aims to engage the community in a vital dialogue highlighting how literature represents and reflects African-American culture, traditions, heritage, aesthetics, and current social issues.
Hampton University and the City of Hampton work to improve Hampton's neighborhoods: Hampton University's Department of Architecture received a $301,505 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to rejuvenate neighborhoods near the campus by expanding their role and effectiveness in neighborhood revitalization, housing and economic development. "Our faculty and students use our expertise to support neighboring communities in need and to raise awareness of issues that lead to community activism and maybe even rezoning," assistant architecture professor Theodore Sawruk said. Previous help from grants has stimulated Hampton's Wythe and Newtown neighborhoods.
Hampton University students clean up the environment: Hampton University students each year team up to clean our shorelines. Special projects have put HU students in neighborhoods planting trees and shrubs, delivering environmental information and picking up litter along streets. Since 1993, an internship program has created real world work experience and an opportunity to build references through specially tailored Public Works Educational programs. For several years, HU students have participated in the annual Great Hampton Shoreline Clean-up. And students last year helped create a unique pilot to test the use of porcelain in a Back River oyster reef in an attempt to rebuild the local oyster population. In all, hundreds of students have brought their talents to the community in which Hampton University is a vital partner.
The Citizens' Unity Commission and HU work together to promote diversity: The CUC sponsors activities and events that bring diverse citizens together and offers diversity education to individuals, businesses, organizations, and schools. A number of HU students have participated in Hampton Diversity College. HU is also represented on the Hampton Citizens' Unity Commission by an HU student or faculty member serving as a commissioner. The CUC has made diversity education presentations on campus such as generational diversity workshops, as well as group viewing and discussion of the movie "The Two Towns of Jasper."
The Hampton Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) supports the return of Hampton University students: The CVB designed a special ad welcoming HU students to Hampton for HU's program/orientation booklet and delivered Hampton Visitor Guides and Family Tree books for each incoming student's orientation packet. The CVB also offers to post events and other important offerings at Hampton University on the CVB website where appropriate.
Hampton University students welcome tourists to Hampton: HU students are employed as interns by Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau. In addition, many Hampton University students work at the Hampton Visitor Center and serve as ambassadors to greet guests to Hampton.
HU-CARE supports families receiving temporary assistance: Hampton University's Career Advancement and Resiliency Empowerment (HU-CARE) project provides support to low-income individuals within the Hampton community, who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) through the City's Social Services Department. The Welfare-to-Work initiative has reduced welfare rolls by promoting self-sufficiency, providing education and job training, offering supportive services, and assisting searches for full-time employment at or above minimum wage salaries. The program, which began in 1998, continues to this day.
HU-CARE supports families in the Regional Job Support Network: This grant funded project, managed by Departments of Social Services in Hampton and Newport News, partnered with HU-CARE to provide services for low-income families served through the Regional Job Support Network (RJSN). HU-CARE provides education and training for participants in the RJSN, who receive intensive case management, job placement, and follow-up services through the RJSN.