Community volunteer leaders spread a message of service

RELEASED: Dec. 21, 2006

DANVILLE, KY—The volunteer spirit is alive and well at Centre College in the Bonner Program, an active and growing on-campus community service group.

Students involved in the Bonner Program donated more than 1,800 hours of service to the Danville and Boyle County community this fall.

Centre's Bonner Program consists of 21 leaders and 12 scholars, chosen through a highly competitive process. Now in its eighth year on campus, it works to advance the goals of the Bonner Foundation, a national organization that seeks to develop "thoughtful, caring and diverse" student leaders dedicated to community service.

Patrick Noltemeyer, director of volunteer service and the Bonner Program says, "Students involved in the Bonner Program at Centre are committed to developing a culture of service on campus and in our surrounding community. These students meet each week to discuss their work, and the impact it's having on the community and themselves. They discuss their achievements and their frustrations, and work together to spread the joy that comes from serving to others." He adds, "The number of hours served by these students is only important because of the significance of the effect that those hours represent in our local area."

Some local partners for the Bonner Program include the Adult Education and Literacy Center, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Bluegrass, CASA, Centro Latino, Comprehensive Care Center, The Gathering Place for Senior Adults, Jennie Rogers Elementary School, Junction City Elementary School, The Kentucky School for the Deaf, Kids In Creative Surroundings, The Salvation Army, Woodlawn Children's Campus and Woodlawn Elementary.

The mission of the Bonner Program, as described by the national Bonner Foundation, is to transform the lives of students, campuses, local communities and the world through service and leadership. Students selected for the Bonner Program at Centre perform at least 10 hours of service each week in the local community through agencies and elementary schools. Students partner with community leaders to conduct needs assessments and then develop programs to address those needs.

In addition, Bonner students meet regularly for discussion and reflection exercises. Each semester is dedicated to the pursuit of an understanding of Bonner's six common commitments: social justice, diversity, international perspective, civic engagement, spiritual exploration and community building.

"Centre students work with our local schools and community agencies to make a positive difference," Noltemeyer says. "I'm honored to work with such an incredible group of students, a group that 'gets it,' students who understand the value of each individual and that everyone has the potential to make a difference."

For more on the Bonner Program, see: http://www.centre.edu/bonner/.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.