A Letter from Executive Director, Dr. Marianne Magjuka
Dear community partners, faculty, staff, and students,
The COVID-19 pandemic has upturned our lives, stoking anxiety, prompting us to adopt new patterns and technologies, and encouraging us to find a “new normal” in this complex time. In this moment, I am reminded how profoundly interconnected we are, even as we are physically distant. Members of our community are reaching out, looking for ways to combat isolation, housing and food insecurity, economic uncertainty, and loneliness. In the midst of “social distancing,” I hope you are able to find and sustain a sense of community.
Our motto, Pro Humanitate, prompts us to think critically and work creatively in service to one another. The Office of Civic & Community Engagement has developed several virtual opportunities for community engagement. We are working with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools to make virtual tutoring available to children; please sign up to tutor a child. We are launching Wake Reads, in which members of our community record themselves reading children’s books; learn more and participate today. We are curating additional educational content and resources for children in WSFC, including cooking demonstrations and science education.
In addition, as everyone navigates changes in their daily lives, the OCCE is still here to connect Winston-Salem and Wake Forest University, and provide resources and support to the most vulnerable and marginalized among us. Our website, communityengagement.wfu.edu will be updated with available community resources and needs, along with ways to engage with one another and our community via “virtual engagement” opportunities.
Finally, please join our newsletter and follow us on social media for updates. We will also host virtual “5th Floor Fridays” from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST, starting this afternoon, and offer several virtual hangouts for student groups in the coming weeks. We hope that you will stay connected to the OCCE and to each other. Be safe, and reach out!
Best,
Dr. Marianne Magjuka, Executive Director
Office of Civic & Community Engagement