Fund for 蘑菇短视频supports symposium on intersection of policing, social work
(From left) 蘑菇短视频 faculty members Katy Allen and Cyndy Caravelis meet with 蘑菇短视频Chief of Police Steve Lillard and Sylva Chief of Police Chris Hatton during a symposium supported by the 1889 Impact Grants program.
By Bill Studenc
More than 65 judges, prosecutors, behavioral health workers and representatives from law enforcement agencies across the mountains gathered earlier this year at Western Carolina University for conversations about the root causes of issues that lead to interactions with police in Western North Carolina.
Titled the Community Care Symposium, the event was a joint effort hosted by WCU鈥檚 criminal justice and social work departments. The March 2024 symposium was supported by $6,000 from the 1889 Impact Grants Program through donations to the Fund for WCU.
The symposium is one of the latest activities of the Community Care Program, which places 蘑菇短视频social work students in law enforcement agencies in an effort to offer alternative policing strategies using methods tailored to rural communities.
蘑菇短视频faculty members Cyndy Caravelis, professor of criminology and criminal justice, and Katy Allen, director of social work field education, launched the Community Care Program in 2021 as a response to a growing need in Jackson County for alternative policing models to connect community members to resources in noncriminal situations. The program has expanded to additional WNC counties thanks to external funding.
The symposium, held in March, represented an opportunity to share information about the program with a broader audience and discuss the intersection of policing and social work, Caravelis said.
鈥淎 number of symposium participants were graduates of 蘑菇短视频who had previously not engaged with the university after graduation,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he 1889 Impact Grant gave us the momentum to showcase our program, which has led to two sizable donations into our Community Care Foundation account, with more to come.鈥�
Tori Doyle, a Candler resident and 蘑菇短视频graduate student working on her master鈥檚 degree in social work, was among the symposium鈥檚 attendees.
鈥淭he impact of the Community Care Symposium was almost immediately recognizable, as so many new police departments and city officials were contacting Cyndy Caravelis and Katy Allen about their interest in bringing the program to their city, town or county,鈥� said Doyle, who earned her bachelor's degree in sociology with a focus in family violence from the University of North Florida.
One of those newly involved municipalities is the town of Hendersonville, which decided after the symposium to join the Community Care Program and hire Doyle as its embedded social worker.
In addition to the financial support needed to host a large symposium, the 1889 Impact Grants Program funding allowed organizers to create comprehensive manuals for each attendee providing a full history of the program and steps to implement it in their departments.
鈥淚 would like to say thank you to donors to the Fund for WCU,鈥� Doyle said. 鈥淔or a grassroots program like the Community Care Program, the donors are a big part of making our success and growth possible, and we are grateful for any past, present or future funding.鈥�
Launched in 2021, the 1889 Impact Grants Program is designed to provide a consistent source of funding for colleges and other units at 蘑菇短视频in support of initiatives that enhance the engagement of alumni and community stakeholders with the philanthropic activities of the university.
Funding for the program comes from annual contributions to the Fund for WCU, including leadership gifts from members of the 1889 Club, which recognizes donors for gifts made on an annual basis to the Fund for WCU. The club, among four giving societies established by the Division of Advancement to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on the institution, is named in honor of the year of WCU鈥檚 founding.
Campus partners requested more than $176,000 in 1889 Impact Grants through 23 campuswide grant applications for the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Division of Advancement allocated $47,000 overall for 12 projects, a slight increase from the $43,500 in grant funding awarded last year.
The 蘑菇短视频Foundation Board Executive Committee reviews all submissions and selects the awardees in the fall of each year. In addition to the 1889 Impact Grants Program, the Fund for 蘑菇短视频provides first-year access scholarships to new incoming freshmen and transfer students and supports ongoing donor stewardship efforts.
To learn more about the 1889 Impact Grants Program, visit the Fund for 蘑菇短视频website.
