Huntington chosen for community service honor roll
FOR RELEASE: Sunday, December 17, 2006
Huntington, Ind.-The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll has recognized Huntington University for volunteerism locally and in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. In addition to local projects, students, faculty and staff volunteered in October 2005 as well as January and April 2006, assisting with Hurricane Katrina clean-up efforts in Mississippi and Alabama.
"Part of the mission of Huntington University is to involve students in acts of service to others," said Crystal Hippensteel, director of first year students and volunteer service. "The university's desire is for students to follow Christ's example of putting others first through acts of service. The Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service helps to provide opportunities for students to help others and to develop a passion for service that will last far beyond their years at Huntington University."
The JMC is a student-directed organization founded in 1992. More than 70 percent of resident students are involved in some form of volunteer service, and more than 10,000 hours of labor are contributed by the Huntington University campus community each year.
More than 500 colleges and universities applied for the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes and promotes outstanding community service by institutions of higher education across the country. Universities are chosen for the honor based on hours of service, types of service provided to the community and to other communities. Specific communities of interest for this honor were those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The program, which began in 2006, is cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
For more information about the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, log on to www.learnandserve.gov/about/programs/higher_ed_honorroll.asp.
