Fresno State will observe National Volunteer Week April 10 to 16 by joining communities across the nation to work together toward social change.

Presented by the Points of Light organization, the campaign uses social media to share stories of community service combined with Fresno State events beginning April 11.

At Fresno State, the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning will dispatch its Richter Center Ambassadors to engage the community through service and help promote volunteer opportunities to others on campus.

The Ambassadors will celebrate Fresno State students, staff and faculty who are engaged in extraordinary service throughout the community with several events and activities during the week (see full schedule):

  • From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Thursday, individuals are encouraged to share their personal stories of service in the Free Speech Area.
  • Volunteers also are invited to post their stories on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the tags #FSNVW16 and #FresnoStateServes. Participants will be entered into a raffle for a prize at the end of the week.

The Richter Center Ambassador program began in 2008 with nine student leaders and has grown to 14 student leaders.

The Richter Center is responsible for the coordination of several service events and projects, including the Community Service Opportunities Fair, Make a Difference Day, blood drives with the Central California Blood Center and Kids Day.

Over the past six years, Fresno State volunteers have contributed more than 1 million hours of service each year. In 2014-2015, there were 14,910 Fresno State volunteers who contributed 1.3 million hours of service to the community. These hours have an estimated economic impact exceeding $36.4 million and earned national awards and recognition by the American Council on Education.

For more information about Fresno State’s National Volunteer Week, contact Mellissa Jessen-Hiser, Richter Center Ambassador adviser, at 559.278.6986 or mjessen@csufresno.edu.

(Copy by Erika Denise Castañon, University Communications news assistant.)

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