UMW Gets Presidential Service Honor

• Press release from UMW Office of News and Public Information

The University of Mary Washington has been named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. UMW is one of 641 U.S. colleges and universities recognized for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

The honor, presented to UMW’s Community Outreach and Resources (COAR), was awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.

COAR comprises about 450 students who volunteered more than 7,859 hours in the community during the 2010-2011 academic year. UMW students assisted 20 local agencies, schools and hospitals, including the SPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Friends of the Rappahannock, Stafford Junction, Heritage Park and the Bragg Hill Family Life Center. 

COAR was recently recognized at the University of Mary Washington Leadership Awards, where the organization received the Outstanding Overall Achievement for a Club or Organization Award. COAR also was honored with the Outstanding Philanthropy Program Award for its performance as the host of UMW’s second annual Relay for Life, a volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. This spring, the UMW group raised $68,000.