Design for public service

Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT Scholar Works

Theses

Thesis/Dissertation Collections

5-1-2001

Design for public service

Cristine Beckley

Follow this and additional works at:

http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion

in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact

[email protected].

Recommended Citation

Design For Public

Service

Rochester Institute

of

Technology

A

thesissubmitted tothe

Faculty

of

The College

of

Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences

In

Candidacy

for

the

Degree

of

Master

of

Fine Arts

Submitted

by

Cristine

Beckley

Approvals

Design for Public Service

By Cristine Beckley

Submitted May 18, 200 1

Signatures

Chief Advisor

R.

Roger Remington

Professor ofthe School ofDesign

Dat

Associate Advisors

Patti Lachance

Date

Associate Professor ofthe School ofDesign

Ann

Howard

Chairperson Public Policy Program

Associate Professor Department ofScience,

Technology, and Society

J,

Cristine Denise Beckley, hereby grant permission

to the Wallace Memorial Library ofRIT to reproduce

my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction

will not be fOr commercial use or fOr profit.

Graphic Design Chairperson

Nancy Ciolek

Date

Associate Professor ofthe School ofDesign

Thesis

Project Definition

4

Precedents

6

Research

12

Synthesis

17

Ideation

22

Implementation

M

Intermediate Evaluation

2-7

Dissemination

28

Retrospective Evaluation

29

Conclusion

30

Glossary

31

Bibliography

32

Design For Public Service

Thesis Intent

To

use graphic

design

to

increase

volunteerism

and aid

in

the alleviation of

homelessness

in

Rochester,

NY.

Project Motivation

On

an

individual

level

we can all effectthe world around us.

Every

day

each of us makes

decisions

that willaffectthe

life

ofanother,

be

it

ourparents, or spouseor ourchildren.

Why

then

do

so

many

people

feel

that there

is

nothing they

can

do

to

help?

Perhaps they feel

powerless

in

their own

lives.

Perhaps they don't

know how

much

they

matter.

Volunteering

promotesgrowth

in

the volunteer's

life.

Helping

anothershows us

in

how

wecan each

help

ourselves

and,

improve

the

community

for

future

generations.

Many

people

do

not

know

ofthese

benefits

because they

have

never given toanotherperson

in

need.

It

feels

good, this

is

true.

Almost

anyone who

has

evervolunteered will

verify

that the

benefits

they

receiveare more than what

they

gave,

be

it

their

time,

money,or talent.

The Problem

A

nationwide

study indicates

that 12 million adults

have been

homeless

at some point

in

their

lives

(nch.ari.net)

Between

1989-1994,

6.6

million adults experienced

homelessness.

According

to the 1990

census,

the number of people

living

below

poverty

are23.5%

in

Rochester,

10.4%

in Monroe

County,

and9.8%

in

the entire metropolitan area.

Based

on

Monroe

County's

1995

CGR

study,

5,900 peo ple are

homeless

at

least

once a year.

There

are

between

380 and

405

homeless

persons

in

the

County

on atypical night.

Federal

aidto the

homeless

and

impoverished

is

now

funded

at a

State

level.

However,

these

funds

are often

insufficient.

Donations

and volunteerism are the main sources which

support thosewhocannot

help

themselves.

Graphic Design

The

object

of

a graphic

design

piece

is

notthe

printing

of

the work,

nor

is

being

understood

but

in its

effect on the attitudes,

knowledge

or

behavior

of

people.

-Jorge

Frascara

Graphic design is

visual art ofthe everyday.

Easily

accessed,

contemporary

design

reflects and

influences

societalvalues.

Often

subliminal-relying

on archtypesto communicate

strong

suggestions_graphic

design's

influences

are

direct

and

long

lasting.

Its

ability

to

influence

culture

lend

it

the power to

instigate

social change.

The

body

repeatsthe

landscape.

They

're

thesource

of

each other and create each other.

-Meridelle

Sueur

Design

and

society

sharethis relationship.

Volunteerism

Volunteerism

can

be

apowerfultool

for

shaping

attitudes and

promoting

change.

An

employeeof

Timberland

footwear,

a

company

which uses

volunteerism to

develop

positive attitudes

in its

staff,

described

volunteering

as

"a

religious

(Robbin,

p.

72).

The

benefits

of

volunteering

are

great,

eventhe slightest

involvement

contributes

greatly

to

aiding

a

community

"Just

hello how

you

doin'

and me

how

I'm

feelin'.

That's

more

important

to me

than

anything

man.

Than

me anything.

Anything.

Any

kind

of money.

Anything.

Knowin'

thatyou

care,

man.

And

thatyou

tryin'

to

help

me,

man,you

know. That's

more

important

than change

any

day

ofthe

-Kevin

King,

homeless,

New York

City

(O'Keefe

p.3)

Background Information

In

the

City

of

Rochester,

The Open Door

Mission

gives aidto those

in

need with

food,

shelter,

and

recovery

from

addictive

dependency.

The

shelter

itself

has

an a need:

"Many

people are not aware that the

Open

Door Mission

has

many

different

outreach

programs

in

additionto

its soup

kitchen."

Kenneth

Fox,

Executive

Director,

Open Door Mission

Need

Materials

that

clarify

and support the needs

ofthe

homeless

and persons who give aid to the

homeless

are neededto alleviate this situation

for

the

Open Door Mission. It is

also

important

that common

illusions

about

homelessness

be

Precedents

Several

publications,

namely Hands

on

Tampa,

Food Not Bombs

andthe

Open Door Mission 's

"Restoring

Hope

Campaign"

brochure,

were studied as precedentsto this

thesis' applications.

Hands

on Tampa-

Hot Times

Hot Times

was an

influence

to thisproject

because it

metthegoal of

alerting

volunteers to

local

projects and made

involvement easy

and

fun.

Hot Times is

unique

in

that

it

organizes all ofTampa Florida'svolunteer activities

in

one easy-to-understand newsletter.

The

research phase ofthisproject showsthat thereare

many

different kinds

of people

inter

ested

in volunteering in diverse

areas.

Grouping

theseserviceopportunitiestogether

is

the most

affective

way

toacquire a myriad of

interested

citizens.

Hands

on

Tampa is

successful

in group

ing

many diverse

organizations andprojects.

This information is

also transferred to a

Hands

on

Tampa

websitewhich

links

toaffiliate

organizationsthat provide additional volunteer

information.

Times

HindsOn T\\\v\.In Hiumnit.ii(ni\i\

HOT Shot: Margi Dubois

For MargiDubois,volunteeringis muchmorethan aweekend or

week-nightactivity;forher.it is a passion.

"Volunteeringispart ofme.part of whoIam,"

explains_{Margi. "I enjoy}

doingthingsforpeople whomayDot beinas good of shape as1am."

Alwaysthe typeof personto

help

others,Margi began \Tjhnrteenng almost15yearsago whenshelivedin Jacksonville.There,shevolunteered fortheMultipleSclerosisSociety, doinge\_{oythmg fromfundraising}to organizingrespire programs and seminarsfarclients.Herwork earned herTopFundraiseroftheYcm bonces,

liwasthisdedicationto_helpingthe im_JcnlogthaibruughiMargito HOT

inAugust 1 999.Ha\Tngmovedto the TampaBayareaa yearearlier, she realizedthat shemissed_volunteering and wantedtoinvolveherself ina worthwhile cause again.Sheanda groupofpeople atPilgrimSoftware,

where sheworksinCustomerSupport,

organized acommitteeandinvited HOTtoconductan orientation. She soonimmersed herselfinHOT.

"1triedalotofdifferentprojects, whichis something 1would recom mendtoanyone_startingout withHOT. Afterawhile,certam agencies and clientsjustkept_drawingme

back."

Oneofthe agenciesthat continues toattractMargi is Hillsborough_County DevelopmentalCenter,where

volun-The Home Association

By Betty McGamty

Ever hearsongslike "CruisuV newsletterto

keep

theminformedof

Hands

on

Tampa's

Hot Times

DowntheRiverCm ASunday

or"AsTime Goes By"1? Theresidents atTheHome Associa tionsurehaveandtheyjustloveto singthesetunes,asthe songsbring

back fondmemories of whenthey wereyoung.Atypical

Sunday

afternoonforaHOTvolunteer wouldinclude rsirtictpahng ina

sing-a-Iong, eatingsome tec cream and assistingtheresidents with a craft. TheHomeAssociationisa non profit,24-hourskiDed_nursing&

rehabilitationhome locatednear Ybor City. TheHome,establishedin

1S99toprovidebettercareforthe elderly,includesmarrythings the residents enjoyedbeforecoming there such as a chapel and

beauty

pariorri ghtonthe premises.The

residenls also receiveamonthly

daily

eventsandnews.Theeditor&

residentMarjoric Weir bis beensure to writemanyruce wordsaboutour ownHOTvohmtecrs._Theyreally do appreciate thetime we spend witb

them.

AngieBolesisthe activities directoratthehome.Sheplans CTentsmonthlyonthe premisesand off,

helping keep

the residentsvery

busyevery day. Theresidentsgetto enjoymovies ontheir

big

screen television,visitstotheirfavorite

restaurants andtrips to

Lowry

Park Zoo.

Sothisrnonth,when youare rooking fora project,thinkaboutThe HomeAssociation.Theresidents are always excitedtoseetheHOT

volunteers and you willhavea great timeas well

,I\M\K\2001

teerssocialize and make arts&crafts with thedevelcpmentally-disabled

clients, MargiunderstandsQusproject may be difficult forvolunteers,but encourages peopleto_{try it,}become comfortablemteractingwiththe clients andreturnforanother month.Their staffisalwaysincluded intheactivity.

"Onceyoulearntobecomfortable around people withdisabilities,youwill realizehowwonderful_theycanbe. You just haveto giveitachance."

Margi hopesto cootinuevolunteer

ing

for manyyears.Tvehadgood friendsinmylifewhohavehelpedme; myemployersrpilgrira Softwareand

The Hands

on

Tampa

calendar communicates

what

is going

on

in

the

city

and

clearly informs

theaudience of

how

tocontact event organizers.

It is

useful

because

theaudience can see all

events at a single glance.

This idea

helped

to

inspire

the

Learn

and

Serve Website

which

uses

hierarchal

menusto

easily

display

all ofthe

site's content.

As

thewebsite grows overtime

and new colleges at

RIT

begin

to participate

in

the

curriculum,

it

will

be

easy

to add new

items

to the

display

lists because

ofthesemenus.

The

calendar

is

brightly

colored and uplifting.

The

heading

is

large

and

clearly

explainsthe

document's

purpose.

The

calendar's

large font

and simple

language

make

it easy

toread

appealing

to older volunteers and

working

people who

do

not

have

time toread

long

articles.

Hot Times

Calender

JANUARY

CALENDAR!

s

M

T

w

T

F

s

1 Happy New Year! 2 Orlrnlalian

3 4 5 6 hmU (tan

Mnl.li" Whrrr. Sthttkm \m Imwv. Ilsbliii USIHh>i.hU.ibardcM

7 8 9 10

hotomtc Niefci Orientation

11 DcpLofChlldn-o

&1-unill.T.

12 13

Vlr.ltOnVWI. Viliniitm Alim 14 Tump* (UMrro'i lltnpttal 15 16 (Mentation 17

AHrljlilcrGrain.

18 SoCm

19 Allfwpk* l-Wi

^*l.l-jnrn

Hum(orlljodirjniri] I wry ParkZM SHAKK SluirthSprit Oriratadoit

21

MnJtOn Wbttb

22

SHARE

23 Shrl-Krs Ha*j-lul

24 25 26 27

HodM-n Mtut" SthMtotiAran

28 29 30

(nwiMBW )

31 SewProjectCoordinatorTraining: Tuesday,January

JOih,6.-00pm 8:38pm, HelplisbuilJourpruyrum! Enjoyalight dinnerwhitcbeingtrainedonhowto cuordlruucprojects.RSVP_{by Jimiuiry}25th10

274-0969.Youmusthavevolunteered on nlleastthree projects10ultendthisorientation.

Volunteer Orientations

HOT Social

-

Putt Putt!

Newvolunteer* mustattend anorientationbefore they

bc-gin to\olunteer.Chooseone unitcsc45-minutc

oncnlit-lionstobecomea volunteer. You don'lneed. Io maker appointment]juslthawup. readytnlearnabout wliaivy<

do!

Jan.2/ Feb. 6 (Either High School (6200N. DaleMubryHighway, Room222 Oriental ion-6:30pin

Jan. 10 /Feb.14 UnitedWay

1000NorthA.shlcyDnvc.Suite800 Orientation-_12:00

pm(charge for parking)

Jan, 20 / Feb. 17 Burdfnes,WcslSuoreV\*t*

2nd FloorHcminguuyRoom (neor escalator)

Orientation 10:15am

Jan. 16/ Feb. 20 JCPenney,Brandon Town Center

2nd Floor Administration Office Orientation-_d:00pm Jan. 25 I Feb. 22 USF

C.U.T.R.Building

Orientation-6:30pm

Ity

Tee/

TumeA

Takeabreakfrom watching

footballand meel us onthegreens!*

Bring

yourfriendsandfamily!

B

4$

PuttPutt Social a -\ Malibu Grand Prix -

\**S

14320 N Nebraska

' -^

Sunday,January21 -JwC

2:00pm

-5:00pm ^^Cr

RSVP: SusanRyan,274-0914(W)

Specials:

$4.99-_{round of golf,10 tokens,popcorn/soda}

$6.99

-roundof golf, go-cart,10 tokens

'Thisisrrie weekbeforethe SuperBowl,

sothereare noNFLgames.'

Restoring

Hope Campaign

The Open Door Missions

"Restoring

Hope

Campaign"

brochure

was used as an example of

literature

thatwas created withthe

Missions

goals

in

mind,

but did

not

fit

in

with

any

over all communication system.

When creating

the

new

program,

thesame goals were supported.

The

goals,

however,

transferred

into

an overall

communications system which required

elegance and portability.

The

Restoring

Hope Campaign

Far

47yearsOpen Door Mi-m.-o 1;,.U,n_help

ini;ib disadvantaged,our neicjihori inneed Overrhr\-.ir-(he Mi--.on< uniquejppmntlitus

social.ind."motionalnecdsol ihchurHnj" inWcuei NewYork

lo....,iilKinvrejslns demandsin,OpentVoi Mixtion BoatdolPunu'i._{Iia overwhelmingly} cndorMfd..i-nt; range planfoi rcmwaiint; faetiines

andaddingseverspmgu.m-thaiwill add to our

"Compassionand_generosity

ConrordHicr^e Icesfes-hmoE*-hero

alwaysto^nvirtue*(batcol cur erea a-p^urifromattiero.Tfeo Orren Ocrc fdlsdooseta alivingcunmplo

?JCVj/(ivSierajifdaccrnyand6nalirto

tieciIcbIcei'ocasllnccHwcrhto rac^iccrtu qfcl? coramunityaI1l(l

cora ccajioMloRntodrr'rrf,Chcv bofdcrjrDandthroughout (Jjcyour."

-JuifaDoylo, MobtmCovtrryExocwthra

Open

Door Mission

"fljiyonovrfcothinkstheOpen Door Miuierthaca'f bedanimpartan(Stir

IHo,shouldprobablythltihagain. Overthepes.)fl6yrara,tt:o Orx?n Door Mission hoopotttjret)hapoto thousand*

at_fives;th&re's?goadchanceIbut eomo-cno yoEmouandlove Ssurn cut afEioni."

-MayorBill Jolmr-on

imi

jjil

Open DoorMission

]x.North llymiHilhAve

Rovhcst.Nl\"i Mr-!-_023* Phonet?lM4VI.(,(,0o

The

Restoring

Hope

Campaign

House

of

Hope Campaign

Portability

in

thenew

brochures

is important

especially in

the

Substance Abuse Program

because

someone

living

on the street would

have litde

roomto

keep

papers and will most

likely

savethe

brochure

if it is easy

tocarry.

The

brochures

created

in

this thesis are

slightly

smaller thanthe original

brochure's

width

for

matted small enoughto

be

ableto

fit

into

the

back

pocket of someone

living

on thestreet or whose

living

arrangements

may

be

in

transition.

The Mission

has

created plasticcontainersto

hold

the

brochures

which can

be

re-formatted

to

fit

any

sized

literature

attheirestablishment.

SpiritualDiscipleshipProgram

ullOi.nrjlld.lIll'Tll 111 m-iiiiij; |HTMVi;il,.>.].Im HTUttlll

Hicslu.ului-offeriKaiumabilit).milunnnirancinnii

destructive hdiaviors

1'hemission'scits* ipleshinprogram provides.

structured curriculum wherenunlearnsiripmr.il principlesforlivine.anrl nukelilt,_lungingJccranis

Educational Programsand

Vocationalleitln]

rn.Mdini;e<liie.iii,.n.ilpr>.tani.i-Jliulllciayill,

Open [WrMissionciL-ililcs menand ivnincnl<.k\nme

independent contnlluline,mi mK-rs nl s ii in

iv.nnu.ism-[si.nlnrih.inli.lhlliufsWehave Icillld

ili.nwhenihemsai ihe mission.11[inn|(>h skills.nul

viieauoila!trilinlnc,. iheyare nui.h men ueeesslwl 111

hieakmeihtc>cle !1..11 mil1 Icssnc, IhroLijihlilcniciliniiiln'fi,1.F DelasM'smdHieskills

insini.ii. inIn suhieeissiteh asImskrunni\ir.iiuc.atii 111 ivrsonalliyexiu p.mmini:run!|nhiiccruewinc, OpenDoo, Mission^<cm?pivp.iK vmerihc

Substance AbuseRecovery OftenHintshonich'SMicssand_pou-nygohund-in handwtdi substance jKumandaddition Alcohol

nhu<e andillinidnij- u^clc.ive>thelegacy>!cripnli.1

Families,cMranjjedInciids lusijob-.milbroken live Long-icrrnresidenti.ilcarewith,ispiritualdimension

is jprovenraid lo_recover)lor ihejddicictlYour Open D001 Missionhelpsh'reat. thecyilinl addiction andrcsiorvhopetoim.Iiperson who comesihmuj.'li the program

New FactlifiSoc

Anarchitecturalfirm liaspr.-dindlplan-;loithe rcnovaiionol:inewmissionfacilitydc-i^neiltomc'Cl tht perceived needs Che Uil.nwill include

nAnewtransitu!slickerto increasehid-hum)8

loHhaiul momlorexpansion

AInr^crmens ir.iiisienilanltly Anew_{dining facility}withkiichen

o\newchapel

ihe.-s

denialandpodutr) department:-Anew_diopin cvnieiwith.1daytimeeaseworkc H\nexpanded rcp-p.ivee pri\c.r.tm

A1ld111ui1.ilemployment opportunities willlie

aviulahk-lomeol thenew stallneeds

Iiiulhtheexisting Open Poor MissionCannp

nier willberenovated

ulu.l,-D.-.!onj;-i.erm residencypmnrain

Tint.hnsuanI.1I1'Program CompuurLearningLeillet

=

i

M

'

"t y

tua-Goal

lomlthe complexflnwinsneedsolmen omenchildrenandlamiliesintheRochesterarea e need lo raise^ 410.000asfollow*.

Rcnouiteandfurnishnew_facility S l.'iOO.OOO Renovatecurrcni missionfacility S 200.000 AdmmistniUon/lund raising - 5 125.000

l:ccs/mecs

lportionisin-kind donation) S 12*5,000 Total S 1.950,000 Yourgillcanhelpus reachtills goalThe fcillowinji

llilc ol giftsshowshowthtbreakdownoldonoiions

TableofGlffs Gifts Needed Rn(Ce

SIOO.OW-_WiO.OOo

[binl S'00.000

S 50.0tUl 4J'J/l'-W S.J*>0.000 10 v >*i CHW S-tO'ioo WW.lXW

i"> i 10,000 ^-M,ll)l1 sIW.CH10 ,0 s I000 S O.'W ..'(U>CH10

11' > 1.0IH) S +.*W SKM.iX'U

1 1.000 J ^.0',,, s1 0O.IXH1

400 4 r.o v oo.. S200.000

56S+ S1,950.000 Ways Tow CanGive

II.M1ipklflfllJlfBffill!%(<-.,(-1'""''""

Monthly

pledge

AnmuUy Toiol3-year S 1 3 00 s iao.( 3-IO.O0 S 1 5.10 s tooIV 900.00 S .177f s. w ; 1,00000 > M.CI0 S 42000 s 1,260.00

S 50,00 s 60000 ^ 1W0 00 . s;('. s1[10000 ^ S.tiOOOO S100,00 .00 ,eooi

sinil ^\,K>7M t 5.O0O.00

S2PH0O >Z 00 7,"iW.OO S 278 00 ._3.in 00 i10,00000

"Soraelongas r.io:

I-o? un cenrc-.ioii.tior, luo OrionDoor f.lkidonhaooflorod asafeliavc-n

andl warmchclforfortJitjcnolev,and_hungry of ourcotntnuiilty.Honoller ano'jrace,crocd orbackground,ovcryanslawolcomc."

-Louis* M.Slaughter, Congre i booman,3BthMstrfct,Now York

House

of

Hope

Shown

ar right

is

rheoriginal

Open Door Mission

logo.This

thesis

has

replacedthis

logo

wirhthe

house icon,

shown and

further

explained

in Ideation.

The Cerebral

Palsy

brochure

shownto the

right,

used

interesting

picturesto

clarify

the

textandcreate emotional responses

from

the

viewer.

The

Restoring

Hope Campaign

created

in

this thesisemploys similar photographic

tactics.

It

too uses

photographs,

such asthe

litde

girl

below,

toevoke emotion and

reinforcethe

brochure's

information.

#

liio

Open

Door mission

Campaign

Today,morethan8u%oTthepeople whoreceiveour services rune pliysji-alorricvulopmeiUal disabilitiesotherliumcerebral palsy.Over llieyears, wehave been abletohelppeople w-ithdie followingconditions

Slowordelayed development Prematureorhigh-risk blnh Downsyndrome andother geneticdisorders Spina Bifida Autism

Cognitive impairmentor mental retardation Falltiretotiirivt1 Hydrocephalyor Microcephaly

Sensoryintegration [dysfunction Medicallyfragile Exposureto substance abuse HIV InfectedorafTcetcd Alzltctnier'K disease

Food Not Bombs is

an activist

organization,

which

like

this

thesis,

is interested in

the rights

ofthe

homelessness

and

impoverished.

The Food

not

Bombs

filer

uses multi-sized

fonts

and capitol

letters

tocommunicateurgency.

The

result of such

devices is

that the

literature

seems aggressive and

imposing.

The strategy

of

this thesis

is

toavoid aggression and negative

communication

tactics,

such as

fear

and shock

which

may

turn

away

audiences, andto

instead

implement

peaceful,

emotionally uplifting

persuasive

dialogue.

not

Bombs

Because....

food

.

right

.

p^iueX^ge.1

Because

tn.r ,. enough (cod for everyone ic eE:\

Because SCARCITY

ta . P,^M

LIE!

Because

.

..*,h.use

her

body

,.

meai,

,.,

place to sleep!

Because

~ho we are

hungry

or

homeless

. k,,. ,.

RIGHT

to

get what we need,,,,.

*, .,lwlK^i

Because

POVERTY

. ,am

VIOLENCE

NC7nejKiar/ornaiural!

R-SCHUSS

CSpftZJlSftl mak&S foodi ,ow;-{ pTOfl't

. . .cure ., nufrften!

Because Food Grows

Un

iiees.

Because

=<

community

not

control!

Because

e ^ homh not jails!

Because

we

need---...FOOD

NOT

BOMBS

.ACT.

23M-OS3

L

/U

<* ^/-r:

Research

We

are more effective as citizens

if

we are well

informed

-Richard

Saul Wurman

Homelessness

National Law Center

on

Homelessness

and

Poverty:

of

America's

homeless,

25-40%

work.

37%

are

families

with children.

25%

are children.

25-30%

are

mentally

disabled.

30%

are veterans.

40%

are

drug

oralcohol

dependent.

Although

20% of

homeless

adults are

employed,

many

work

in

day-labor

jobs

that

do

not meet

basic

needs,

while technologi

cal acceleration excludes others

from

a compet

itive job

market.

The escalating health

care cri

sis places

low

and middle

income

families

at

serious risk of

homelessness,

while

inadequate

governmentprograms

addressing

mental

health,

child care andeducation

impede

home

less

people

from

escaping

theircircumstances.

Rochester

According

tothe 1990

census,

Rochester

lists

thenumber of people

living

below poverty

as: 23.5%

in

Rochester,

10.4%

in Monroe

County,

and9.8%

in

the entire metropolitan

area.

Based

on

Monroe County's

1995

CGR

study, 5,900 people are

homeless

at

least

once a year.

There

are

between

380and

405

home

less

persons

in

the

County

on atypicalnight.3

Dispelling

Illusions

There

are often misunderstandings

aboutthecauses of

homelessness

andwho

it

affects

in

American

society.

For

instance,

many

people

believe

most

homeless

are middle aged men.

Astonishingly,

40% ofthe population

who

fall below

the

poverty

level

are children.

During

the

last

thirty

years, single women

withchildrenwerenot eligible

for

welfare

because

they

were notmarried.

Many

of

these

families became

homeless,

as

homelessness

and

poverty

are

inextricably

linked

(cgr.org).

Some

common

illusions

about

homelessness

and

its

circumstances are:

The

government

is

always

helpful

to

its

citizens.

Cities

acrossthe

country

are

responding

to this

disparity,

not

by

addressing

the causes

of

homelessness,

but

by

passing

and

enforcing

laws

punishing homeless

people

for

begging

as

well as

for

sleeping

and even

sitting in

public-eventhoughthereare no alternative places

for

homeless

peopleto

sleep

or sit.

At

least

72 cities

have

pursued effortsto criminalize activities

associated with

homelessness.

In

Cleveland,

police officers pursued a

policy

of

driving

homeless

people

from downtown

areasto remote

industrial

areas and

leaving

them there.

The

Ciry

of

Sanra Monica

passed

ordinances

ensuring

thatthere

is

no public place where

homeless

people can sleep.

The

City

also passed

laws

toprevenr private

individ

uals

from

distributing

food

to

hungry

people.

Who is helping?

Many

people are

helping

to

join in

improving

their society.

There

arethousands of websites

on the

internet

that

inform

the

community

of

this problem and give aid to the

homeless.

This

may

lead many

to

ask,

what can we

do

person

ally

if

so

many

are

trying

and

it

is

still a problem?

Volunteering

is

one good

way

to make a

differ

ence.

Unfortunately

there are

few

statistics on

the effects of volunteerism

because

shelters,

both

non-profit and government

agencies,

do

not

keep

track of the

benefits

caused

by

volun

teerism.

When

asked

for

specific numbersto

show

how

volunteerism alleviates

homelessness,

Rochester

agencies

generally

answered,

"I know

it

helps because

we couldn'trun withoutthe

-United

Way

Shelters

are always

the

answer

Some

shelters are not able to provide adequate

supervision.

"Now

you

know I

found

a room

I

can rent

instead

ofthe shelters

because

the

shelters are worse than

jail.

Because

you can't

goto

sleep

with

anything in

your pocket.

Because if

you

do

when yougo to

sleep

they'll

take a razor

blade

andthey'll cut the pocket

out.

You know

you

have

maybe

50

or

60

guys.

You

have

murderers.

You

have

robbers.

You

have

guys with

diseases.

They

wake you

up

at

seven o'clock

in

the

morning

and you

have

to

leave

andyoucan't come

back

in

until maybe

twelve or one.

I

couldn't

deal

withthat.

So

that'swhy,

basically,

thata

lot

of

homeless

people would rather

sleep

onthe street than

in

ashelter.

Because they

can't

deal

withthat type

of atmosphere you

know

withallthem people

and all the things that go on.

And

the

little

bit

of

food

that

they

get.

Half

ofthem are

doing

drugs

in

the

-Homelessman

Governmental Research

This

portion oftheresearch was usedto

determine

the

urgency

oftheproblem and

its

significance.

In

summary,the government

finds

the nation

facing

a great problemwiththe

prevalence of

homelessness

and

is

not able

toalleviateor solvethe situation.

Section

11302. of

U.S. Title Code:

Title

42

The

general

definition

of

homeless

individual is

:

1

An individual

who

lacks

a

fixed,

regular,and

adequatenighttime residence.

2

An

individual

who

has

a

primary

nighttime

residencethat

is:

(A)

asupervised

publicly

or

privately

operatedshelter

designed

toprovide

temporary

living

accommodations

(including

welfare

hotels,

congregateshelters,and transi

tional

housing

for

the

mentally

ill);

(B)

an

institution

that provides a

temporary

residence

for

individuals

intended

to

be institutionalized;

or

(C)

a publicorprivateplacenot

designed

for,

or

ordinarily

used

as,

a regular

sleeping

accommodation

for human

beings.

Poverty

Thresholds

Poverty

Thresholds

are

issued

by

the

US

Census Bureau.

They

areused

for

calculating

the number of persons

in poverty

in

the

United States. The U.S. Census Bureau

usesa

setof

income

standardsthat

vary

by

family

size to

determine

who

is

poor.

If

a

family's

total

income is

less

than that

family's

standard,

or

threshold,

then that

family

is

considered poor

and

may qualify

for

government assistance.

The

following

chart consists ofpoor

American

families

ranging

from

threeto six members.

It

shows average

household

incomes

at

poverty

level

categorization.

Trendsof

Poverty

Ihresholds

(incomes)

torr-amiliesSizes 3-6 525,000

$i!0,U00

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Incomes of

the poor

have

not

kept

pace

with

rising

housing

costs

-National

Law

Center

Despite America's rising

nutritionalstandards,

consumptionpatterns, and

inflation

overthe

last

ten years, the

incomes

ofthose considered

to

be

poor

have

risen

very

little.

The

chartto the

left

shows nosignificantchanges

in

the trends of

income

standards

despite

1980 welfare reforms.

There is

also

little

disparity

between

the threshold

incomes.

family

of3

family

of4

family

of5

family

ofU

Chart

References

1.

US Census

Bureau,"Historical

Poverty

Tables"

2.

National Law Center

[image:15.737.46.419.231.437.2]

Rochester Institute

of

Technology

Research

was taken

from

the

Student Volunteer

Center concerning

the

demographics

of

RIT

students.

This information

wasneeded to

address the audience ofthe

RIT Learn

and

Serve

website.

The

students at

RIT

are

drawn from every

state

and more than one

hundred

foreign

countries.

Approximately

10%ofthe

RIT

student

population

is

deaf

or

hard

of

hearing.

This is

a

factor

in

designing

thewebsite.

The

student

body

at

RIT is

comprised ofapproxi

mately

11,400 undergraduatesand 2,200 gradu

atestudents,

for

a totalpopulation of13,600

students.

One

third of these students are

women,

while adult students make

up

a significant proportionof the totalenrollment.

RIT

students

study many

subjects

from

Social

Work,

Psychology,

Information

Technology,

Engineering,

and

Fine Arts

to

Criminal

Justice.

The

website will speakto all of them.

The

Greek

community

also

holds

philanthropic

eventswhich

may

be linked

to the site

if

related.

J(-Synthesis

A

Marketing

Communications Program

clarifiedthisproject's

needs,

identified

ways

to meet these needs and explained the

relationships

between

the solutions.

Situation

Analysis

and

Need

The Student Volunteer Center

at

Rochester

Institute

of

Technology

reports thatnon-profit

agencies

in

the

Rochester

community

are

experiencing

an

increase in

need

from

the

populations

they

servewhile

suffering

a

decrease

in

funds

to supporttheir programs.

These

agencies are

in

needofcommitted

volunteersto continue to

function

effectively.

Rochester Institute

of

Technology

is working

to

meetthese needs

by

providing

aconsistentand

accessibleprogramwhichwill coordinate

community

serviceefforts oncampus and

in

thecommunity.

The Student

Volunteer

Center

providesoutreachto non-profit agencies

by

working

with

RIT

students,

faculty

and staffto

incorporate

theseservice opportunities

into

campusprograms, events, curricula, and the

campus culture as awhole.

Learn

and

Serve Grant

The Learn

and

Serve Grant

provides the perfect

opportunity

to

graphically

tosupport a pro gramthatenrichesthe

lives

of students and

gives aidto the community.

Information

was

organized

according

to

RIT's

needs andthose

of the community.

Many

times the people

in

the

community

who end

up

homeless

are

already

members of

poverty

level households.

By

supporting

the

Learn

and

Serve

Grant

which

benefits Sector

io,

the poorest commu

nity

of

Rochester,

someofthosewho might

have become

homeless,

living

standards are

improved.

For

this thesis create awebsite

whichserves the

community

by

providing

access

toopportunitiesprovided

by

thegrant.

The

websitecreated

during

this thesis connects

RIT

students to the

Northeast

Neighborhood

Alliance

(NENA),

and the

RIT Student

Volunteer

Center. Students

are ableto sign

up

for

classes supported

by

thenew grant.

The

website

lists

non-profitagencies,such asthe

Open Door

Mission,

where students are able to

access

information

on

homelessness

and

its

causes and register

for

volunteering

though

RIT's Student Center.

Additionally,

NENA

has

which

is

supplemented

by

the website.

Several

projects

have

takenplace where

photography

needed

for

thewebsite

has

occurred.

On

May

4, 2001,

a

group

of students toured

NENA

and createdgardens.

These

images

will

eventually

be

implemented

onthewebsiteto promotevolunteerism.

Psychology

of

Volunteerism

According

to

Maryann

Garrity, PhD.,

college age

kids

whowould

be

participating in

the

Grant Program

are

best

encouraged

by

the

idea

that

they

are

leaving

a mark on theworld.

The

belief

that one can make a

difference is

what

motivatesthem.

Imagery

showing

children

working

together,

families

reunited,or

any

thing

thatshowstheaffects ofpositiveefforts

would work well as

guiding

imagery

for

this

audience

(see

appendix).

The Open Door Mission

The

are

few

places

locally

for

the

homeless

to

find

help daily

in

respectto

food,

clothing,

and shelter.

The Open Door Mission

plays a

vital role

in

meeting

the

growing demands

of

the

homeless

population.

In

the

City

of

Rochester,

The Open Door Mission

givesaidto

those

in

need,with

food,

shelter,and

help

in

recovery

from

addictive

dependency.

Identifying

Patterns

and

Organizing

Information

After sorting

theneedsofthe

homeless

community

in Rochester

and

combining it

withthe researchon

how

thesituationmight

be

improved

through

design,

severalpoints

were

identified

as

integral

to theproject.

First,

psychologically

relevant

data

thatwould

persuade peopletovolunteerwas needed

in

the

community.

Research indicated

that

government support wasnot enoughto

help

solve thisproblem.

Another

need addressed

by

this thesis

is

the

needtomake

homeless

people

feel

self-worth

and

hopeful.

Homeless

people needto

be

able

to

begin

to

believe

thatonce

again,

or maybe

for

the

first

time,

they

are

loveable.

They

also

need to

feel

that

they

have

the

ability

to change

theirown

lives.

Audience

RIT's Student Volunteer Center's

Volunteer Need

Survey

was

distributed

to

major

Rochester

non-profitorganizations.

According

to the

survey,

most

firms

need anywhere

from

twoto one-hundredvolunteers

a month.

Differences in

the agesof volunteers

can

be found

between

theorganizations.

The

Open Door Mission

's brochures

target middle

aged

women,

while

RIT

students will

be

the main audience ofthewebsite

supporting

the

Learn

and

Serve Grant Project.

The Open Door Missions

volunteer audience

is

women

forty-five

tosixty-

five

_{yearsof age}with

annual

household

incomes

of

24-45K,

who

have

oneto twochildren and close tieswitha

local

churchcommunity.

Its

audience

is

alsothe

homeless

themselves,

for

whichthis thesis

hopes

to

inspire

hope.

A

third audience or client would

be

the

Northeast Neighborhood

alliance.

This

group's

needs

regarding

non-profit organizations will also

be

meton thewebsite.

It

will

be important

toemphasize all of these organizations

equally

Budget

Overall,

budget

is

not amajorconstrainton theproject's

design.

The Open Door Mission

has

requested 500

brochures

for

every

program

they

offer.

The Mission

offers

five

programs,

but

afteranalysis ofthe

information,

this thesis

created three

brochures

whichcombinedseveral

ofthe

Mission's

Programs.

The Mission's

printerquoted$1,430

for five

brochures. It

was alsoconsideredwhether

RIT's

printing-presscould

be

usedand

possibly

supply discounted printing

as the

job is

partof

a graduate thesis project.

If

so,

the

Mission

would not

have

to take

money

out of

its

bud

get

for

the project.

The Mission

is,

however,

willing

to

pay

for

all

printing

costs.

The Open Door Mission's

Marketing

Communication Analysis

Functions:

Ranked

by

order of

importance

To

provide

compassion,

hope,

love,

support,

restoration, outreach, ministry, caring,

giving

The Mission's

goals

To

be

an extension ofthe church

community

to restore

hope for

people who

have

little if any

hope left

at all.

The Mission is

a placeto

acquire

basic human

needs

for

surviving,

but

also aplaceto

learn

what

it

meansto trust and

believe

in

God

for

a

lifetime.

The

ends which

The Open Door Mission hopes

toachieve with this program:

particularly

important,

the

brochure for

the

Christian Life

Rehabilitation Program

will

explainto

its

applicants

how

the program

is

run and theexpectations

for

its

residents.

10

year

personality

of

the

Open Door Mission:

-model,

pro-active, progressive,

cutting

edge,

focused

Perception:

How its

audience should perceive

the

Open Door

Mission-_effective,

frugal,

pro

active, progressive,

consistent, reputable, credi

ble,

much-needed,

leading-edge,

committee.

The

difference

that

The Open Door Mission

makes;

"There

are

few

places

locally

for

the

homeless

to

find

help daily

in

respectto

food,

clothing, andshelter.

The Mission

plays avital role

in meeting

the

growing

demands

ofthe

homeless

Chris

Scribani,

Executive Assistant

The Open Door Mission

Ideation

Open Door Mission Logo Development

The Open Door Mission

logo

was created

by

analyzing

the

Mission's

audience,

and

services,

and

theprevious

logo's

look

and

feel. The

Mission's

original

logo

was created

for

the

House ofHope

Campaign

(see

Appendix)

The

original

idea

was

that

God's

love is

flowing

into

the

city

of

Rochester

wherethe

Open

Door Mission

supports

those

in

need of

help.

The

new

logo bottom

right

is

applicableto

any

of

the

Missions

programs andsupportsthe

idea

that

anyone

is

welcomeand

deserving

of aid.

This idea

was

based

onpsychologicalresearch

(see Research

section)

andthe

Mission's formal

title-

Open Door.

A

square grid wasusedtomake the

house

proportionate.

Blue

waschosenas

many

ofthe

Mission's

older

supporting

materialsrefer

back

to

theiroriginal

blue

logo,

and

additionally

because it

is

a

soothing

color.

For

this

latter

reason

blue

was

also chosen as the

primary

color

for

the

Substance

Abuse brochure. The

following

images

showthe

progressionofthe

formation

ofthe

Mission's

logo.

1

1

_

1

zzSJ

I

Ej

final logo

Steps

to

Application Prototypes

Linked

by

grant

in

support ofstudent

volunteerism

1

.0

Resources

Resources

usedto achieve

Goal

Goal

Graphic

design

toencourage

volunteerism toaid

the

homeless

Programs

whichsupportr

he

homeless/

2

₀

Marketing

Communications

Program

3.0

Goal's

Strategy

I

Analyze how

to

I

best

achieve

V

common goals

Create

design

|_ products

J

(

Define

audience

I (Psychology

Prof.)

Generate

theme and

application

ideas

y

Prototype

revisions

Website

Ideation

Learn

and

Serve Website Ideation

The

website was created

according

to the

Marketing

Communications Plan.

Technically

a

hierarchal

menu was created

in

order toallow

theuser maximum exposureto the

different

categories.

This

was

done

with

Javascript.

While

thesite was

being

built,

the

Learn

and

Serve Grant

committee

did

not

know

exactly

what

information

would

be

needed onthesite.

A

message

board

was createdsothat students

will

be

abletoshareexperiences while

learning

in

thecommunity.

The

colorsorangeand

yellow were chosentomotivate and uplift.

juAC> JW

ftg.A*

A

SI6NUP

Vrc-i

f^Q

""

i

r

\?rMUM I

!/

i

.

Z

J

i

LD

: Te*+-

6o>t

Li'nl>i -fry.-.

Sodott

V^I'J'T-.^

Htirasd-ui

Mf.tl

^?s

^mjw2~sy

CVH+C*jt(i.V>S

4 crMv

T

V',1^

r""*- ,^

rg

Q&J

t~B

^3

I.

Jjf

togi

z 5^4 r1<d/Suj.Jii.

3

2>).'j

Co\oV I

iv-idurfiilj

Lowfa

h

"

p]

Website

Navigation

This

chart showsthenavigation

ofthewebsite.The

top

phrases

are categories and themain points

onthe

hierarchal

menu.

The

text

inside

the

boxes

are

links.

Learn

and

Serve

NENA

Volunteering

Sign

up

UUu~ ' ' '

IEibB

^t- 1 < >

Itim' ' ' ' '

!

e=)t~i _

About

Mission

Campus Life

Email Form

Student

benefits

Opportunities

Community

benefits

Message

board

Implementation

The Open Door Mission

brochures

were

first

designed

by determining

paper size and

fold.

The

fold

was chosento

be

unique,

memorable

and so that the

images

would appear on

half

ofthe

front

cover.

Next,

pencilversions ofthe

brochures

were

made

to

to

determine if

thepaper's

dimensions

and

fold

were accurate.

Imagery

wasthengrouped

by

which

brochure

it

would support:

Substance

Abuse, Volunteerism,

orthe

House ofHope.

Colors

versions ofthe three

brochures

were

created

by

using

the

Pantone

Matching

System.

Pastel

hues

were chosentosoothe and uplift

theviewer.

It

was

difficult

to

find

colorsthat worked well

as a

group

andthatwould also

be

ofsufficient

intensity

tomaximizethe

readability

ofthe text

The

blue

at right was

eventually

chosen as

it

was

dark

enoughtoprovide contrastto theother

colors

in

the system,

but

also

light

enoughthat

dark

textcould

be

seen

layered

above.

Persistence

is

the

hard

work you

After

you've

finished

doing

the

hard

work

you

already did.

-Unknown

theabove shows contrast

between

background

I

text

Website

Implementation

The

website

began

with an analysis of

its

audience and goals.

The

audience was students

at

RIT

andthe main goal of the website was to

familiarize

theuser with the new

Learn

and

Serve Grant

and give studentsan

opportunity

to sign

up

by

internet.

Javascript

hierarchal

menus were

implemented

to allow the user

clear,

one-step

visualaccess to

everything

on the site.

The

menus are

very

functional

because

while

taking

up

aminimum

or space

they

still allowthe usertoseethe

location

ofthe site's contents quickly.

The

website will

be

maintained

by

the

Student

Volunteer

Center

afterthe completion of this

project.

The

website will undergo changes

for

quite sometime as the

Learn

and

Serve

Program

has

only recently begun.

At

presenttherearethree

links

onthewebsite:

RIT's

main

page,

the

Student

Volunteer

Center,

andthe

Northeast Neighborhood

Alliance.

The

site

has

sixsub-categories,

amessage

board

andstudent

sign-up

window.

The

main page

is

shown at right.

A image

of

hands

together was chosen to

suggestthe

lending

nature ofvolunteerism

andthe closeness that

may

occur

between

thevolunteersand thecommunity.

Orange

was chosen

because it is

an emotivecolor which

energizesaction

by

anyone

interested

in

the

Learn

and

Serve Grant.

1

RiT|

|

NENA

Voluntering

Sign

Up

'

J

Student Benefits

Whatelse

J

main site

1

j y T"1H lilll* vtMMimi ui>uf _|

|

Ivl'

1

IIesddzbsBH

IIMli*t

11mtiiifU> Jii Bit pittl mats(otlil'9 (Ouitr,K

lt3>nidip>nn:*i*ttictufl indtomottnwfltomtiMiin

tomessage

board

ifflBH

student

benefits

sign

up

form

Intermediate

Evaluation

The

brochures

were reviewed

by

Professors

Remington

and

Lachance

tomaximizetheir

functionality

as a system and

individually.

The

Mission

editedthe

brochure's

copy

andverified

imagery.

The

final duo-tone brochures

are

8.5"

x plus

bleeds.

They

will

be

sentto

Patrick's

Printing

to

be

printed on a

press,

double-sided

onto semi-gloss paper.

The

gloss surface would givethephotographs greater contrastthan

if

printed on matte paper and would also

impart

a sense of worthto those

reading

them.

Digital

printers were not abletoprint

double

sided onto

glossy

paper

for

theprototypes so

they did

not

exactly

matchthe

final

output

in

termsofphoto

intensity.

Also,

thecolors ofthe

brochures

on screen

did

not

look like

their

equivalent

in

the

PMS

chart.

To

compensate

for

this

situation,

Patti Lachance

suggested

making

thattwo copies of each color

file.

The

first

copy

wasto

be

viewed on-screen

consisting

of colorsthatappeared

ideal.. The

second

copy

imported

and usedthe

Pantone

colorsthat

would

be

used

by

the

printing

press.

This file

was notto

be

used

for

designing

purposes,

but

rathersaved

for

theprinter.

Patti Lachance

suggestedthat theoriginal pastel colors chosen

for

the

brochures

weretoo

light

and that

brighter

colorswere more uplift

ing

and

inspiring. Several

oftheaudience members atthethesisshow exhibition agreed

withthis opinion.

The

color swatchesto the

right showthe original colors and the replace ment

darker

selections.

Professor Remington

suggested that the main

typeface

be

substituted with a moreclassicserif

font.

Several fonts

were examined

before Adobe

Caslon

was chosen.

Adobe

Caslon

resembled the

body's

text

font Centaur,

but

wasmore

classical and

less distracting.

Dissemination

The Open Door Mission

will

disseminate

the

brochures

to

both

the

housed

and

homeless

communities.

Students,

faculty

and persons

interested in

academia and art were exposed

to the

brochures

atthe thesis show.

The

thesis

show

dissemination

also provided verbal

communication

relaying

opinions aboutthe

websiteand theprinted materials which was

used

for later

revisions.

Distribution

towider

audiencescould

happen

through

locations

which

house

the

brochures.

The

actual

brochures

can

be

found

in

this

book's

back

pocket.

Retrospective

Evaluation

Managerial

Stricter

enforcement ofthe thesis

time

line

would

have

allowed moretime

for

unforeseen

problems.

It

seemedthatalmost

every

aspect of

the project took

double

the time

originally

anticipated.

For

future

projects,

a good rule of thumb will

be

to allow

for

two weeks

delay

on major aspects of awork

in

progress.

Group

meetings were

difficult

to collaborate

because

of

inconsistent

schedulesofthe

Committee

members.

In

the

future,

online

technology may

circumvent

scheduling

problems

among

committeemembers.

There

was unclear communication

between

the

Open Door

Mission,

theprinter,andmyself.

In

the

future,

communicationwill

be

more

specificto reduce assumption.

Technical

The

technicalaspects ofthethesisworkedout

smoothly.

There

were no unforeseen

dilemmas

regarding

media nortechnical problems that were

very

difficult

to solve.

This

thesis

illustrated

how

one must

define

goals and

achievethemone-at-a-time.

It is important

not to get

behind

onthe

deadlines

andto

be

sure tocommunicatethe thesis progress to

everyone

involved.

Ann Howard

commented on

how

the project caused

her

to think more

concretely

about the

Learn

and

Serve Grant. People

atthe

Mission

told me

how beautiful they believed

the

designs

to

be

and

many

students and

faculty

became

more awareofthe

dangers

andtruths about

homelessness

in

Rochester.

It is

my

hope

that

onceaware,people will

feel

compelledto aid

in

improving

thesituation.

Audience

Graphic design

mustcommunicate

its

message

clearly

andeffectively,

using

aestheticsto

achieve thisaim.

It is

important

in

design,

to

remain

focused

on thegoal oftheapplication

andto

keep

theaudience's responses

in

mind at

all times.

The

processof

identifying

audience

and

basing

themessage on their needs was the

first

step

in

this application

process,

a

step

thatwas

integral

to

its

success.

If

this project

had been

extended,efforts would

have

been

made to

determine

the

best

way

to

motivate

different

audiences

specifically

composedofseveral social groups not

already

directly

linked

tovolunteerism.

There

are

many

sub-cultures

in

Rochester,

andthe

distribution

could

have

occurred

by

identifying

several of these cultures as audiences and

disseminating

the

literature

throughout related

locations,

thereby extending

the

brochures

influence

toa much wider

variety

of people.

Conclusion

Designing

for

public service allows

designers

to work with clientswho are committedto

and care

deeply

about their work.

Design

ofthis type

is

metwith

favor

and appreciation

by

the general public.

Designing

for

public servicemaximizes the profession's power and

influence

onsociety.

The

relationship

between

design

and culture

is

symbiotic-

design

influences

culture as much

as

it is

influenced

by

culture.

Graphic design

therefore

is

a

strong

and receptivetoolwhich

may

be

used

in

support of society.

Perhaps

the most

rewarding

aspectof this

projectwerethe ties

formed

within the

community.

Through

the project

its

author

met

many

membersofthe

community

and

its

leaders

who were

interested in

helping

others

in

Rochester.

Feeling

theprojectmade a

difference,

that

it

was not

just

a

hypothetical

question was also of greatsatisfaction.

This

thesis also taught that

in

orderto

learn,

one must

be

open tonew

ideas

and ableto set

aside preconceived notions of

how

things ought

to

be.

RIT

embraces this role

in

the

community

and

is

flexible

enoughto pursueopportunities

such as the

Learn

and

Serve

Grant. The

grant

projectshowsthat

it is

nevertoo soonto

begin

applying

theoretical

knowledge

to thereal

world_which,

in

this

instance,

benefits both

the

RIT

studentand

Rochester.

Working

withthe

Open

Door

Mission

taught

humility,

and

how

to

learn. Through

this thesis

its

author

learned

that prideand

insecurity

are

both

illusions,

whereas

in

fact

no

person

is

greaterthan

any

other.

Glossary

Activism

n.

The

theory,

doctrine,

or practice of

assertive

action,

used as a means of

opposing

or

supporting

an

issue,

entity,

or person.

Community

n. i

A group

of people

living

in

thesame

locality

andunderthe samegovernment.

2

The

district

or

locality

in

whichsuch a

group

lives.

This

thesis refersto the

community

of

Rochester.

Soup

Kitchen

n.

The Open Door Mission 's

outreach

program that provides

food for

the poor.

Open Door Mission

n.

Established in

1952,

the

Open Door

Mission

is

a

privately

funded

501.

03

non-profit organization chartered

in

the

state of

New York

and

does

not receive

any

government

funding,

but

relies

entirely

upon

donations

from

the

community

to run

its

programs.

Disseminate

v.

To

distribute,

To become

diffused;

spread.

Homelessness

n.

A

complex set ofcircumstances which

require people tochoose

between

food,

shelter,and other

basic

needs.

Impoverish

v. 1

To

reduce topoverty; makepoor.

2

To deprive

ofnaturalrichnessorstrength.

Volunteerism

n.

Use

of or reliance onvolunteers,

especially

toperform socialoreducational work

in

communities.

Service

Learning

n.

A

credit-bearing

educational experience

in

which students participate

in

an organized

service

activity

thatmeets

identified

community

needsand reflecton theservice

activity

in

sucha

way

as to gain

further

understanding

ofcoursecontent,a

broader

appreciationof the

discipline,and

an

enhanced sense of civic responsibility.

Bibliography

Books

Yaffe,

Gotthoffer. Quick Guide

to the

Internet

for

Social Work. Needham

Heights,

Massachusetts: Allyn

and

Bacon,

1999.

Robbins,

Stephen P. Organizational Behavior.

New

Jersey,

Prentice Hall:

2000.

Canada

Ph.D.,

Edward

R.,

and

Leola Dyrud

Furman Phd. Spiritual

Diversity

in

Social Work:

The Heart ofHelping.

New York:

The Free

Press,

1999.

McKnight,

John.

The Careless Society.

New York: Basic

Books,

1995.

Hilfiker,

David.

Not All

Of Us Are Saints:

A Doctor's

Journey

with the

Poor.

New York:

Ballentine

Books,

1994.

Essays

D'Arcangelo

Michael,

"RIT: A

Profile."

January

13,

2000.

Hamner,

Tracey,

Jean

Griffin,

and

James

Madison,

"Proposal: The Student

Volunteer Center

at

RIT."

September

29,

1998.

Robert

Bringle

and

Julie

Hatcher,

"A Service

Learning

Curriculum

for

Faculty."

The Michigan

lournal

of

Community

Service Learning. Fall

1995: 112.-122.

Websites

Center

for

Governmental Research. "How

did

Rochester

fare

in

Census

2000?"

September

12,

2000.

http://www.cgr.org

O'Keefe,

Gary. "Homelessness

in

America."

September

18,

2000.

http://www.qvctc.commnet.edu/

student/GaryOKeefe/homeless/frame.html

National Coalition

for

the

Homeless.

"Why

are

People

Homeless?"

September

19,

2000.

June

1999.

http://nch.ari.net/causes.html

National Law Center

on

Homelessness

and

Poverty.

"Homelessness

and

Poverty

in

America."

August

21,

2000.

March

15,

2001

http://www.nlchp.org/h&pusa.htm

ServeNet.org.

"Quotable

Quotes"

http://servenet.org/cont/control

Rochester Institute

of

Technology's Webmaster

Page.

"Web

Design

Guidelines."

January

12,

2001.

April

6,

1999.

Appendices

Interview

with

Psychology

Professor,

Maryann

Garrity

Ph.d.

Photography

Quarter Planner

Needs Assessment

Interview

with

Psychology

Professor,

Maryann

Garrity

Ph.d.

(Informal

transcript

by

email)

..

.caring

is

the

beginning

of

learning

tocaremore, to

love

outsideyourself,

andthoseyou

live

with.

I've

got a

few

answers,

for

you.

I

have

a

Bachelor's

from

Texas Woman's

University

in

Psychology,

a

Masters

in

Counseling

Psychology

from

the

University

of

West

Fla.,

and

Ph.D in Industrial

Psychology

from

Souther Mississippi.

I've been teaching

at

Jackson

State

University

since

1987,

one or two classeseach semester.

JSU is

a

black

university.

I've

taught

Organizational

Behavior,

underandgraduate

levels;

Management,

Human

Resource

and

Research

Design

for

Business.

I

worked

for

Mississippi

Authority

for

Educational

Television,

started as their

HR

Manager

and when

I

left

I

was the

Deputy

Director.

(2nd in

charge).

Did

that

for

about

six

years,

started their

development

(fundraising

office)

so

learned

something

about

marketing.

I've

received

salary

for

teaching,

consulting,

and

babysitting. I

did

a

lot

of

work when

my kids

were

in

school

before

I

started

working-scouts, church,

PTA.

Working

withvolunteers

in scouting (other

mothers)

and at

Mississippi

Educational

Television

were

different. At MAET

the

volunteerswere peoplewho

had

a

mission,

to see

MAET

continueto thrive.

They

often

identified socially

with other

agency

volunteers

and the staff.

They

were apart of a national

group, thepublic

broadcasting

supporters.

Public

television

is

very

wellentrenched,supported

by

influential

people.

It's

a status

thing

to ride aroundwith a

PBS,

Public Radio

bumper

sticker,makesyou partofa special group.

Scouting

and church were

different. The

volun teers weremoms,

offering

to

help

out

in

some

way.

they

werenot as committedto thegroup.

It

was not asocial

thing,

it

wasanobligation.

I

found

that

in

orderto

keep

my

mom's

happy

andproductive,

I

had

to make

it

an enjoyable

thing for

them,

give them some reinforcement

for

giving

cookies,driving,

helping

withprojects.

Church

wasthesame.

I

taught

Sunday

school

for

about

6

years.

The

church moms

weremore

dependable,

they

didn't

want

anyone

in

the church to think

they

were not

supportive,to

be

agoodmom,

they

did

it.

Research

says that people are motivated

for

a

variety

of reasons.

To

put

food

on the

table,

to

be

safe andsecure, to

have

somestatus or

recognition,

for

affiliation or

love,

and

for

some

ideal

or what

Maslow

calls

Self

Actualization.

Of

course

it's

morecomplexthan that

but

if

you

look

up

Maslow,

you'll

find

he

talks of a

hierarchy

of needs.

Later

he

modifiedthe

hierarchy

to

be

dependent

on the

individual.

Think

of yourneeds,

if

you're

hungry

or

thirsty,

youaren't

going

to

be

too concerned

with

recognition,

you'll get

food.

'Course

the

kind

of

hunger

I'm speaking

of

you or

I

have

never experienced.

Additionally

an artist will

forgo food for

the

drive

to produce a work of art.

Now

the

discussion

comes

in

on what motivatedthe

artist,

recognition or an

insatiable

urgeto

create,

to self actualize?

Don't

know.

Some

writers

say

it's

to

be

immortal,

have

your name

in

print.

That's

notselfactualization.

Another

theorist says motivation come

f