Communications design majors help a local nonprofit rebrand fundraising materials to better serve the homeless in Central New York.
Every student who majors in communications design in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts takes a class that goes beyond skill building and enhances their connection to the Central New York community. “Design Management (CMD 352) is a course where the classroom ultimately becomes a working design studio with a real client to serve,” says Michele McCaffrey, assistant professor of communications design.
This spring, the students enrolled in CMD 352 took on an especially rewarding challenge. Their client was John Tumino, founder and director of In My Father’s Kitchen (IMFK), a faith-based organization that provides nondenominational assistance to homeless people in Syracuse. The outreach Tumino and his wife, Leigh-Ann, deliver is direct—they go out on the streets and under bridges to build relationships with people who are not yet ready to work with community agencies or accept emergency shelter. The organization provides food and basic necessities, and partners with Dr. David Lehmann, an Upstate Medical University physician who provides medical care to those without a stable living situation.