About 700 LC students contributed 70,648 hours of community service in 2011-12 to earn University of Lynchburg a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2013.
In addition to serving as tutors, feeding the hungry, and providing sweat equity for a number of local schools and organizations, LC students provide substantial economic support in the greater Lynchburg area and beyond.
The University of Lynchburg Emergency Medical Service (LCEMS) contributed the lion’s share with 28,080 hours of community service. LCEMS has more than 25 members and is a Virginia state-certified emergency health care service that provides Basic Life Support to those on College property.
The Bonner Leaders contributed 11,447 hours working with the community on issues including education, hunger and homelessness, environment, and youth development. Ten Greek organizations donated 11,360 hours of volunteer work.
In addition to generously donating many volunteer hours, the LC community raised more than $70,000 during the 2011-12. The biggest fundraiser was Relay for Life, raising almost $32,000 for the American Cancer Society. Other fundraisers netted $17,673 for the Muscular Dystrophy (MS) Walk; $14,699 for United Way; and $9,950 for St. Baldrick’s Foundation for research on childhood cancer.
“Community service allows students to go out into the community and gain real-life experience and an understanding of the challenges in their community,” said Chris Gibbons, director of Office of Community Involvement, LC’s volunteer program. “It also helps ignite their passion for service.”
LC, which was also on the honor roll in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010, and 2012 was one of 19 colleges and universities in Virginia to make the honor roll. In addition, four Virginia schools made the presidential honor roll with distinction.
The Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs, and is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
Nationwide in 2012, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 118 million hours of service valued at more than $2.5 billion.
