McGee delivers a white paper presentation, outlining the many activities in which she was involved during her year of service at the University. She plans to pursue a master’s degree.

Katie McGee, who served as The University of Findlay’s AmeriCorps VISTA campus and community collaboration leader in the Campus Compact office for the 2007-2008 academic year, gave her final presentation to a group of community members and UF faculty, staff and students June 17.

McGee highlighted several programs which she was instrumental in organizing and implementing, including Sweet Service Saturdays, a program she initiated. Once a month, students volunteered their time on a Saturday morning to help an organization in the community. In total, 37 students participated and helped six local agencies.

Other programs included a Bring-a-Senior-Friend-to-Thanksgiving Dinner, during which 53 students were paired with senior volunteers from Chopin Hall and the Hancock Christian Clearing House; and a Valentine’s Day party and food drive, where students created Valentine’s Day cards to give to residents of Fox Run Manor and food was collected for Chopin Hall.

One of her favorite activities, she said, was working with the campus and Hancock County Habitat for Humanity chapters. She helped with fundraising, traveled to Biloxi, Miss., to work during spring break and helped build two homes in the county.

McGee was active within the community, in addition to her activities with UF students, faculty and staff. She was the youth adviser for ECLIPSe, a grant-making organization for high school students in Hancock County. She also helped teach economic principles to seventh-grade students through Hancock Saves, a program of the Ohio State University Extension Office. And, she volunteered as a mentor with the Children’s Mentoring Connection.

McGee was involved in many service projects during her year at UF and assisted in providing 452 volunteers to 30 agencies, which equaled 2,370 volunteer hours given back to the community.