SUNY Fredonia will be showcasing to its students and staff all the community agencies which offer opportunities for volunteering at its first Community Services Fair on Thursday, Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room.
 
"The university is committed to focusing on community service as an important part of the experience of being a college student," President Dennis L. Hefner said. "We believe that connecting our students to community agencies will help them prepare for lives that are enriched with civic participation and responsibility."
 
Dozens of community service agencies and organizations are scheduled to send a representative, distribute information and answer questions at the Community Services Fair. Some of the participants include the United Way, Compeer Chautauqua, Literacy Volunteers, WCA Home, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Chautauqua Opportunities, American Red Cross, Chautauqua Adult Care Centers, Learning Disabilities of WNY, Meals on Wheels, Campus and Community Children’s Center, Rural Ministries, Just My Imagination Workshop, and Boys and Girls Club.
 
The Community Services Fair is the first of its kind on campus, said Joyce Harvard Smith, coordinator of a new office at SUNY Fredonia which is dedicated to helping students find volunteer opportunities. In charge of the Office of Volunteer and Community Services, Ms. Smith is organizing the fair. Organizations interested in participating can contact her at her office in the Williams Center at 673-3690.
 
Members of the Volunteer Services Advisory Committee at SUNY Fredonia, in addition to Ms. Smith, are Richard Sanchez of the Salvation Army, Rev. Roosevelt Haynes, Ann Burns of University Police, Mary Carney of the Social Work degree program, Vincent Courtney of Reed Library, Kathy Forester of the Student Affairs office, Christina Jarvis of the English faculty, Averl Otis of the Multicultural Affairs office, Michael Lemieux of the Campus Life office, and student Jacob Amankwaah.