The College of New Rochelle has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
The College of New Rochelle has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
The college is the only one in Westchester County to receive the award.
“At The College of New Rochelle, our commitment to service is an integral part of our mission,” President Stephen J. Sweeny said. “Our entire college community is very proud of the work our students accomplished under the guidance of Helen Wolf, Director of Campus Ministry.”
Each year students participate in numerous service activities, among them: participating in Midnight Runs to New York City to help the homeless, serving meals at HOPE Soup Kitchen, working with Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, teaching ESL at the Adult Learning Center, and volunteering with seniors in assisted living programs in New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon. In addition, students take annual service trips on which they spend a week serving those in need. On this year’s trip to New Orleans, students rebuilt homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, congratulated the college, saying, “Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”
The College of New Rochelle and other recognized schools make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector; in 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the corporation. Each year, the corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs; the education awards that AmeriCorps members receive at the conclusion of their term of service to pay for college; and through support of training, research, recognition, and other initiatives to spur college service.