CWU President Discusses Volunteerism During Camp Fire USA Annual Luncheon

March 26, 2008

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - CWU President Jerilyn S McIntyre today encouraged attendees at the annual Wo-He-Lo luncheon of the North Central Washington Council of Camp Fire to continue their commitment to building the next generation of leaders in community service. Dr. McIntyre spoke to more than 100 people in attendance at the event in Wenatchee.

"We all are part of a continuum of student learning and involvement in community service that links us to other organizations and other institutions in the communities we serve," said McIntyre, who said that at CWU students volunteer through several departments and programs, including the Civic Engagement Center and the Academic Service-Learning Program. "Students and staff also have collected clothing and toys for needy children, participated in charity walk-a- thons and helped in the Yakima River Cleanup."

McIntyre told the Camp Fire council that the drive to volunteer starts at a young age and often continues throughout a person's life. She said that she strongly believes in the positive effects of volunteerism, adding that Central has an essential role in fostering community involvement.

"Educational institutions and community organizations such as CWU and Camp Fire USA instill a commitment to community service in the lives of young people," McIntyre told the crowd, adding that, as a youth, she too, learned the value and rewards volunteering brings. "The commitment to community service doesn't begin in college. It is the result of instilling similar values and skills at younger ages."

McIntyre said her own life was shaped by the opportunities for service and leadership in Brownies and Girl Scouts, in church, and through a variety of community-service organizations in elementary school, junior high, and high school. Her commitment to community service continues today, she said, adding that "we are all out own best examples of the fact that volunteerism and community service are part of the fabric of American culture."

The North Central Camp Fire Council provides several programs for children in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, and Adams counties. Nationwide, the 98-year-old Camp Fire USA serves more than 750,000 people.

McIntyre shared statistics about volunteerism in the United States with her audience, noting that annually about 60 million people volunteered in some capacity within the United States in 2007, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Washington State alone, volunteers gave 266 million hours of their time to community service in 2006.

Media Contact: CWU Public Relations and Marketing, 509-963-1493, bwatson@cwu.edu

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.