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RELEASED: Oct. 23, 2003
DANVILLE, KY—Katie McCollough, a senior from Owensboro, Ky., and a resident assistant for Wiseman Hall, has been named Centre's September Volunteer of the Month for organizing a semester-long philanthropic project with the women in her residence hall.
Her idea was to do a service project using hall funds ordinarily set aside for things such as pizza parties. The women of her hall embraced the idea, and so the plan to make Christmas ornaments and decorate a tree for the residents of Charleston Health Care Center was born. CHCC is an assisted-living center in Danville.
"I wanted to make it an event where people on the hall could get to know each other better and could help members of the community," McCollough said.
She's thrilled with the degree of participation. "We should really call this 'Volunteer Hall of the Month.'"
Stacy Hoehle, a senior from LaGrange, Ky., and a resident of Wiseman, is also enthusiastic about the project.
"This is a more memorable and long-lasting way to put our funds to use. While a pizza party might produce camaraderie on the hall, our philanthropy is sure to bring us closer, as well as impacting the lives of others."
But this isn't the only project the women of Wiseman have been involved in. A residence hall floor usually throws a birthday party for each of their hall-mates, but McCollough and company have chosen to bring gifts of teddy bears. The bears are then donated to the Louisville Police Department, whose officers use the toys to soothe young people in times of crisis.
How does McCollough feel about the good things she and her friends are doing for others?
"I believe we're put on this Earth to serve each other. We just need the opportunity," she said.
The volunteer award program at Centre recognizes some of the many students who provide service to the local community. Each year, around 60 percent of all Centre students become community volunteers. The College encourages volunteer service with a community-service day each year as part of the orientation for first-year students. For more information, contact Trina McFarland, assistant director of student life for service and leadership development, at (859) 238-5479 or e-mail
mcfarlnd@centre.edu.
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