A total of 43 SUNY Oneonta students received 2019 Senior Service Awards recognizing their commitment to volunteerism. Seniors who completed at least 350 hours of service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) were recognized during a reception on May 10.

Twelve members of SUNY Oneonta's Habitat for Humanity club spent their spring break building houses in Vero Beach, Florida. The students worked closely with the Indian River Habitat for Humanity, helping build and refurbish homes and volunteer in any way they could. They also spent time at the "ReStore," where they organized, moved and sold at a discount items that had been donated. Habitat for Humanity members took over the SUNY Oneonta Snapchat for a day to give their peers an inside look at their work.

Eight SUNY Oneonta students traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico over spring break to continue Hurricane Maria cleanup efforts through NECHAMA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit. The students cleaned, swept, hammered, painted, worked on roofs and more to help improve the area. They were accompanied by Associate Professor of Biology Sean Robinson and Center for Social Responsibility and Community Director Linda Drake. They stayed in an Airbnb with other NECHAMA volunteers, got to see the lush flora and fauna of the island, went on some very muddy hikes, and did some sightseeing in Old San Juan.

Two students presented at the Annual Conference on Volunteerism and Social Responsibility, held at SUNY Oneonta on Nov. 3. SUNY Oneonta students Samantha Pepe and Skylar Claud presented "Home Restoration and Sun Salutations." In this presentation, they will speak about their one-week volunteer experience with the Jewish disaster relief organization, NECHAMA. They traveled with eleven other students and two professors to help rebuild homes damaged from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

SUNY Oneonta students are making a difference in Puerto Rico this summer, assisting in recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the U.S. territory's lush landscape and many homes. A group of 11 students recently returned from a service-learning trip there with geography faculty members Justin Hartnett and Trevor Fuller. Last September, a Category Four storm known as Hurricane Maria hit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. With widespread flooding, power outages and hundreds of homes destroyed by the tropical storm, Puerto Rico was stripped of its lush landscape, and the widely popular tourist territory became devoid of its attractions for weeks. Unfortunately, the recovery has been moving along slowly ever since. Eight months after the disaster, there is still an extensive need for assistance in Puerto Rico. Blue tarps serve as shelters for many residents whose homes were destroyed. Working with NECHAMA, a volunteer-driven nonprofit headquartered in Minnesota, 11 SUNY Oneonta students cleaned, swept, hammered, painted, worked on roofs and more last week to help improve the area.

Forty eight seniors were recognized for community service efforts during a ceremony at SUNY Oneonta's Alumni Hall Theater last week. The event, which was held May 11, was hosted by the Center for Social Responsibility and Community and was a celebration of seniors who volunteered 350 hours or more during their time at SUNY Oneonta. This year's senior class had 589 seniors who logged 60,517 hours of service in their four years.

SUNY Oneonta students took part in the 8th annual Canstruction event April 8 at the Southside Mall, where teams made up of local business employees, community members and students used design and problem-solving skills to create canned food structures and give back to the community. Teams built sculptures using thousands of unopened cans of food. Participants had to use cans with original labels, and they couldn't use glue or anything that would affect the cans during construction. The structures will stay up all week so that the community can see them. Canstruction is a national charity committed to ending hunger one can at a time. The drive collected 6,336 cans this year and in eight years has totaled more than 32,000 cans. The donations will be delivered to 15 local food pantries when the displays are taken down Sunday.

A team of 8 SUNY Oneonta athletes won an award for their participation in the college's 8th annual 'Canstruction' event April 8 at the Southside Mall in Oneonta. Teams made up of local business employees, community members and SUNY Oneonta students used design and problem-solving skills to create canned food structures and give back to the community. Participants had to use cans with original labels, and they couldn't use glue or anything that would affect the cans during construction. The team of athletes won the "Best Meal Award" for their donations. Canstruction is a national charity committed to ending hunger one can at a time. The drive collected 6,336 cans this year, according to organizer Linda Drake, and in eight years has totaled more than 32,000 cans. The donations will be delivered to 15 local food pantries when the displays are taken down Sunday.

Six SUNY Oneonta students participated as a team in SUNY Oneonta's 8th annual Canstruction event April 8 at the Southside Mall, where groups used design and problem-solving skills to create canned food structures and give back to the community. Teams built sculptures using thousands of unopened cans of food. Participants had to use cans with original labels, and they couldn't use glue or anything that would affect the cans during construction. The structures will stay up all week so that the community can see them. The "HerCampus" team won the "Juror's Favorite" award for their structure - a giant plate of sushi. Canstruction is a national charity committed to ending hunger one can at a time. The drive collected 6,336 cans this year and in eight years has totaled more than 32,000 cans. The donations will be delivered to 15 local food pantries when the displays are taken down Sunday.

Twelve members of SUNY Oneonta's Habitat for Humanity club spent their spring break building houses in Vero Beach, Florida. The students worked closely with the Indian River Habitat for Humanity, helping build and refurbish homes and volunteer in any way they could. During their stay, the students repainted and beautified the home of a veteran's widow during a neighborhood revitalization project. On a second home, the group built and raised the wooding framing for the interior walls, began roofing work and helped put up the exterior housewrap. They also collected donations from a home that will be resold to raise funds for Habitat.

Eighteen students traveled to New Orleans from Feb. 24 to March 4 to complete wetlands restoration service-learning projects in the Lower Ninth Ward. Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, the students planted hardy, fast-growing native plants and removed invasive species in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife.

Fifty-two members of the Class of 2017 received Senior Service Awards in recognition of their outstanding commitment to volunteerism while at SUNY Oneonta. Students who completed at least 350 hours of service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) were recognized during a reception on May 12.

Eleven SUNY Oneonta students spent their spring break volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, Fla.

Thirteen SUNY Oneonta students spent a week in New Orleans for a wetlands restoration service-learning project in the Lower 9th Ward.

Nearly 70 SUNY Oneonta students helped launch a new service-learning partnership aimed at getting local elementary school children excited about growing their own food.

Thirty-nine members of the Class of 2016 received Senior Service Awards in recognition of their outstanding commitment to volunteerism while at SUNY Oneonta. Students who completed at least 350 hours of service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) were recognized during a reception on May 13.

Twelve members of SUNY Oneonta's Habitat for Humanity club spent their spring break (March 6-13) building houses in Punta Gorda, Florida. The students worked closely with one of the Charlotte County Habitat for Humanity chapter's family partners to help build and raise the wooden framing for the exterior walls of one of the homes. On a second home, the group began construction on the interior walls, helped put up the exterior housewrap, and began some siding work.

Twelve students spent a week in New Orleans doing wetlands restoration service-learning projects in the Lower Ninth Ward. Working with a nonprofit organization called Common Ground Relief, the students planted hardy, fast-growing native plants and removed invasive species in coastal areas imperiled by hurricanes, development and engineering projects that have eroded land and endangered wildlife.

SUNY Oneonta Inter-Fraternity Council President Russell Lowe organized a highly successful Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registration Drive on the college's campus in October.

Forty-seven members of the Class of 2015 received Senior Service Awards in recognition of their commitment to community service. Students who completed at least 350 hours of service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) were recognized during a reception in May.

Students from SUNY Oneonta and neighboring Hartwick College teamed up to raise $67,293—a record amount—for the American Cancer Society during a Relay for Life event April 17-18, and donations are still coming in. More than 1,500 students camped out all night in SUNY Oneonta's Alumni Field House, with team members taking turns walking laps around the gym from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. The annual event was organized by the Colleges Against Cancer student groups at the two colleges with support from SUNY Oneonta's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC).

Eleven SUNY Oneonta students and two faculty members are in New Orleans this week for a wetlands restoration service-learning project in the Lower 9th Ward. Accompanied by Wendy Lascell, assistant professor of geography, and Anita Levine, assistant professor of elementary education and reading, the students arrived in New Orleans on Feb. 28 and will return on March 7.

A total of 39 students from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business have become certified by the Internal Revenue Services to help families prepare simple tax forms through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Residents of Delaware and Otsego counties who earned less than $53,000 in 2014 may be eligible for this free service, which is offered through the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties CA$H (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) program.

Three SUNY Oneonta event planning students organized a benefit fashion show for a local food pantry on Dec. 5. Held at the Oneonta Elks Club, the event raised nearly $1,100 for the St. Mary's Food Pantry in Oneonta. More than 50 students were involved in the fundraiser, which included a pasta dinner prepared by food service and restaurant administration students, followed by a fashion show featuring 27 student models.

SUNY Oneonta recognized 39 members of the Class of 2014 who completed at least 350 hours of community service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community.

A total of 28 student volunteers from SUNY Oneonta's School of Economics and Business have become certified by the IRS to help families prepare simple tax forms through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Residents of Delaware and Otsego counties who earned less than $51,000 in 2013 may be eligible for this free service, which is offered through the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties.

Three SUNY Oneonta event planning students organized a benefit fashion show that raised more than $1,000 for a local food pantry. More than 120 people attended the "Fashion for Food" fundraiser on Nov. 8 at the Oneonta Elks Club. The event included a pasta dinner prepared and served by Food Service and Restaurant Administration students, followed by the fashion show where students modeled outfits culled from the racks of a local consignment store, as well as some of their own creations.

A record number of SUNY Oneonta freshmen spent their first full day in Oneonta volunteering in the community. New students moved into their residence halls on Sunday, Aug. 25, and 202 of them participated in the college's sixth annual Freshman Service Day the next day.

A total of 45 SUNY Oneonta students received 2013 Senior Service Awards recognizing their commitment to volunteerism. Seniors who completed at least 350 hours of service through the college's Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) were recognized during a reception on May 17. [See attached for town-by-town listing of SUNY Oneonta students who received Senior Service Awards]