Launch cities represent select cities that were the first participants in what will become a worldwide program
in coming years. Use the dropdown below to learn more about Duke Alums Engage launch sites.
Pilot programs were organized in a small number of cities to test the Duke Alums Engage model and provide examples to
future participants. Use the dropdown below to learn more about these programs.
Duke In Winston-Salem | "Stop Hunger Now"
October 4, 2008
On October 4, 2008 Duke alumni in Winston-Salem partnered with Operation ShareHouse and the Stop Hunger Now
Campaign to package freeze-dried meals which were ultimately used for a school meal program in Guatemala.
Work started at 8 AM setting up the cafeteria and unloading the truck and finished by 11 AM after packaging
10,000 meals. The cost of supplies and shipping for each meal is 20 cents which we tried to raise from local
Duke Alumni. Some folks who could not attend sent checks while others wrote checks at the registration table.
Stop Hunger Now staff made the work efficient and enjoyable with minimal organizational effort from our end.
The event was fast-paced, well organized and kept everyone busy with jobs from scooping rice and soy protein,
running filled bags to the weighing stations, carefully weighing each bag, sealing it, loading it in boxes,
sealing boxes, transporting boxes to the truck, and refilling the packaging stations from 50 pound bags.
Reggae music kept everyone working at a fast pace. Every time we completed 1,000 meals and the boxes were sealed,
a different participant rushed to hit the gong to signal a moment of loud celebration, and then we went back to
work on the assembly line. We had over 60 folks from ages 2 to mid- 70's (Duke class of 1956). The pace of the
event allowed people to chat across the tables while working.
After the clean-up and before we departed, Girish Mishna, MD, provided an educational and emotional moment of
reflection by recounting his latest trip to his home village in India. He grew up in an impoverished village in a
mud hut where his mother ate the only food available during her pregnancy, onions. The villagers shared milk from
the one cow in the village to keep Girish alive as an infant. His family immigrated to USA when he was a child.
Both he and his sister attended Duke on scholarships, and he told the crowd that he represents the American dream,
thanks to his Duke education. His story helped everyone reflect on the seriousness of hunger and the importance of
the service we had engaged in. Awards were presented at the end which included recognition of the messiest work
station, the loudest gong ringer, and the oldest participant.
In May, the Kansas City club kicked off the Collegebound program, aimed at helping disadvantaged high-school juniors
and seniors navigate the college admissions process. (Collegebound is a component of Operation Breakthrough, a
nonprofit outreach initiative.) In August, the Duke volunteers began helping the students?many of whom will be the
first in their families to attend college?prepare for the ACT exams and gather the necessary paperwork: applications,
academic records, and letters of recommendation, awards, and honors.
The alumni volunteers are also helping the Collegebound students explore scholarship opportunities and have even
taken a few to colleges for campus tours. The project continued throughout the 2008-09 academic year, with the
goal of becoming an ongoing initiative.
"Duke alumni volunteers in Kansas City are filling a critical need in the lives of students whose resources are
limited and whose expectations for attending college are low," says Dawn Taylor '89, who helped organize the event.
"Ultimately, these volunteers can play a small role in preparing Collegebound students for productive,
self-sufficient lives."
Duke in Detroit/Ann Arbor | Beyond Basics
February 2009
In February, 27 Duke alumni attended a meeting with staff from Duke and Beyond Basics to brainstorm about how to
interact with Beyond Basics programs. This meeting was followed in March by lunch and a visit to two schools to
see facilities, neighborhoods, and work with kids one-on-one. There was much enthusiasm about how to sign up and
begin tutoring from this group! Alumni and families also gathered in September to landscape and plant flowers at Jamieson Elementary School. Alumni continued their partnership with local schools with a project during Duke Alums Engage Week 2009.
Duke in San Francisco | Literacy for Environmental Justice
May 9, 2009
Duke alumni in San Francisco partnered with Literacy for Environmental Justice on a community garden project and continued the partnership with a project during Duke Alums Engage Week 2009.
In May 2009, 29 Duke alumni in Atlanta partnered with MedShare to prepare medical supplies for shipping. They sorted and packaged several hundreds of boxes for shipment, learned about the organization, and spent time reflecting and responding to relevant issues. Alumni continued to partner with MedShare for a project during Duke Alums Engage Week 2009.
