Service Spurs Local and International Travel for LVC Students

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Lebanon Valley College students reported 21,081 hours of service during the 2015–2016 academic year.

ANNVILLE, PA (07/07/2016)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College students reported 21,081 hours of service during the 2015–2016 academic year, equaling $496,668 worth of service reaching from Lebanon County to the international community.

Local Residents Benefit

A total of 1,136 hours of service were recorded by students volunteering at LVC's Physical Therapy Free Clinic. Working under the supervision of a member of LVC's faculty, these students provide physical therapy services free-of-charge at a fully equipped clinic located at 35 W. Main Street in Annville.

Service to the local community was highlighted through four programs during the academic year. During August orientation, 15 student-led service organizations volunteered as part of LVC's Orientation Service Project. In addition, students were transported throughout Lebanon County for service on International Coastal Clean-up Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Earth Day.

Members of LVC's athletic teams worked together at several points to serve the local community. LVC's football team was formally recognized as the College's athletic team that provided the most community service throughout the academic year. The team completed 593 hours of community service and 415 hours of campus service by assisting with the Annville Free Library Book Fair, Relay for Life, Freshmen Move-in, LVC Live, and on "Hot Dog" Frank Day.

Service Introduces Students to International Travel

At the close of the academic year, 14 students and the Rev. Dr. Paul Fullmer, LVC's chaplain and director of community service and volunteerism, met Dr. Gabriela McEvoy, LVC associate professor of Spanish, in Peru for a service trip in her native land. Home stays were arranged throughout the mountain village of Misminay, providing income to Peruvian families who provide a room for travelers as part of a growing microindustry in tourism of that region. Each morning throughout the week-long trip, students assisted at a local school by tutoring, teaching, and leading special activities. The afternoons were devoted to learning about Peruvian culture.

In early March, 22 students and Chaplain Fullmer dedicated their spring break to travel and service to St. Augustine, Fla. The group painted a house, assisted at a center for pregnant teenagers, and served elders through the local Council on Aging.

LVC's Service Programs

Community service hours that qualify for reporting at LVC represent time dedicated to the interests of others for which an individual does not receive financial compensation. The hours must be served during the academic year for work that directly benefits either (1) people experiencing poverty, discrimination, abuse, poor health, old age, and/or physical-mental limitations or (2) the protection of animals or the environment. Specific guidelines regulate the reporting of hours served as part of an academic course, traveling to and from service sites, etc.

The community service figures come from data compiled by Chaplain Fullmer. Students track individual and group hours served via an internet-based interface. Shortly after electronic submission, qualified service hours are posted to individual accounts available to students via the internet. Fullmer gathers community service information on monthly reports from all student organization presidents and athletic coaches, asking that they report on the times, dates, hours, number of participants, etc. involved in community service.

An awards system has been developed as an incentive for students to serve the community. Service awards are posted to the student's JobCenter profile where prospective employees may note the involvement. Students who serve 25–60 hours receive a Bronze Community Service Award, 61–99 hours of service merit a Silver Award. During the 2015–2016 academic year, 24 students earned sufficient community service hours to qualify for Gold Community Service Awards, having served more than 100 hours and completed a multi-day residential service project.

Valuing Community Service

According to the Independent Sector, a coalition of leading nonprofits, corporations, and foundations, volunteer time was valued at $23.56 per hour during 2015. The dollar value of the students' volunteer time was arrived at by multiplying their 21,081 hours of service by that hourly rate. This figure is based on the average hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory workers on private non-farm payrolls (as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The Independent Sector increases this figure by 12 percent to include the estimate value of fringe benefits.

Contact the Office of Community Service at 717-867-6135 for additional information regarding community service at Lebanon Valley College.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 40 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, science education, and speech-language pathology.

The College has 1,608 full-time undergraduate students and 108 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 90 clubs and organizations, and 12 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement.