Posted by student JONATHAN DUNKLEY – I am one of thirteen Clinton School students — Hunter Riley, Emily Fischer, John Memmer, Ashley Davis, Nicholas Hall, Lindsey Barnett, Dimas Espinola, Josh Stokes, Lisa Porterfield-Thompson, Julianne Dunn, Olivia Wilmot and Sarah Clark — who have been selected to participate in the annual conference for the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) on February 13-15, 2009. CGI U is a non-partisan initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation that encourages students to commit to action in an effort to help alleviate an array of social issues including education, energy and climate change, global health, human rights and peace, and poverty alleviation.
I have committed to assist in the area of poverty alleviation by partnering with Our House, a non-profit organization here in Little Rock, Arkansas that assists working homeless individuals and their families with job training, job placement, and permanent housing. Our House residents are in need of clothing for the winter season, and I want to assist them as well as satisfy my personal commitment for CGI U. The “Clinton School Coat Drive” is asking Arkansas residents to drop by our school between 9am – 5pm and donate coats, sweaters, and any other clothing items for children or adults. As the winter season approaches this is a practical and effective way to assist the needy in our community. For more information about CGI U or Our House visit their websites www.clintonglobalinitiative.org, and www.ourhouseshelter.org.