Last year, UMW students logged more than 17,200 hours volunteering in the Fredericksburg area community through the Community Outreach and Resources office. The accomplishment has earned COAR recognition on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fifth straight year.
But junior Ola Szczesna believes the student-run organization can do more.
COAR challenged volunteers to serve a total of 25,000 hours this year, in honor of the organization’s 25th anniversary.
“All it takes is a few more hours per student,” said Szczesna, who oversees COAR as well as being a full-time student.
COAR serves the Fredericksburg community through an active exchange of service and learning while continually striving to find solutions to problems that challenge the community.
Through COAR, students have spent hours tutoring kids, building houses with Habitat for Humanity and stocking food at local food banks. COAR volunteers have been mentors to local children and teens, and buddies to individuals in our developmental and intellectually delayed community.
Started in 1990 by a student named Elizabeth Baumgarten, COAR was on the forefront of college campuses putting administrative resources towards a concerted community service effort. In true UMW fashion, it was and still is student-driven.
“At most other colleges and universities, offices that focus on community service were created by the institution and are directed by its staff,” said Christina Eggenberger, director of services. “What’s special about COAR is that it has been and will continue to be student-run and directed.”
Each year COAR puts on six events including, Into the Streets, Pumpkin Palooza, Head Start Gift Box Drive, the Variety Show, Pay it Forward Week and Spring Forward Festival. Events are volunteer-run by students serving the campus and community, and have proven to be very successful.
“It’s just fun stuff that makes people happy,” said Szczesna. “I’ve been volunteering with COAR for three years now, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing.”
For more information about COAR’s events or way to volunteer, contact COARumw@gmail.com.
