Shreveport College Helps Community Seniors Cool Off During Hot Summer Months

Contributed by Kristi Kohl, Campus Librarian 

Problem: Summer heat can overwhelm elderly Shreveport residents

Shreveport, Louisiana, experiences very hot summers, with temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees through August and September.

In an effort to help our local elderly population stay cool, students from our Shreveport Criminal Justice associate’s degree and Business Office Management associate’s degree programs decided to contact a local news station, KSLA, to get information on how our Shreveport college could participate in the station’s fan drive.

Solution: DECA members organize a Campus-wide fan drive event

The students who chose to reach out are involved in a local Shreveport club known as DECA, which stands for “Distributive Education Clubs of America.” The club’s purpose includes “applying learning by having members put their knowledge into action through project-based activities that require creative solutions with practical outcomes.” Our DECA members organized a fan drive on Campus, beginning in August.

Remington College – Shreveport Campus Joins the Cause

The group invited Shreveport college students and staff to donate fans for the KSLA fan drive through the month of August into early September.

On September 6, Shreveport Criminal Justice Instructor Horace Spratley, the husband of KSLA news anchor Domonique Benn-Spratley, took 12 donated fans to the KSLA station offices for distribution to Shreveport’s Council on Aging.

In receiving the donation, Ms. Benn-Spratley said, “Thanks for all of the hard work in collecting fans for us to help our senior citizens!” In addition, KLSA TV news anchor Stephen Parr featured the students’ efforts during the local 6:00 p.m. newscast on September 6, 2011.

Recognizing the Value of Getting Involved with Support from the Campus

DECA Advisor and Shreveport Business Office Management Instructor Nanci Quinley understands the benefits our students can derive from giving back and how important it is for them to network and become involved in service activities like the fan drive.

She said, “Not only do events like this drive provide much-needed help to those who need it, they also can help DECA members get their name into the community through working with other organizations like KSLA.”

Ms. Quinley also commented on the support received from the Campus. She said, “The Campus and staff are always supportive of our student activities. The students were great, and we would love to see more student involvement in these types of activities.”