Oakland Community College Employees, Students Volunteer 2,000 Hours in March

Over 110 Oakland Community College (OCC) employees and students volunteered for a total of 2,078 hours of community service activity, the equivalent of an average employee’s year’s work, during the month of March.

The effort, called the Founders Service Club, was part of the college’s first annual Founders Celebration, a month-long series of activities honoring the community spirit of OCC’s first Board of Trustees, elected in 1964 when the college was established by vote of the Oakland County electorate.

Another of the month’s events was the serving of celebratory birthday cake at each OCC site, including Orchard Ridge in Farmington Hills, on March 19, the 92nd birthday of Founding Board Chair George Mosher. Mr. Mosher is the only remaining trustee of the original six.

In the spirit of the Founding Board’s commitment to community service, OCC employees, students and retirees were invited to join the Founders’ Service Club and participate in a variety of community service activities. 

“Through the work of these individuals we reiterate the theme of service to our community pioneered by that Charter Board back in 1964,” said OCC Chancellor Tim Meyer.

Among the organizations with which the volunteers served were the Detroit Zoo, the National Kidney Foundation, the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Mobile Nurse Clinic, the Waterford Library, the Oakland Literacy Council and the Southfield Public Library. Forty-one OCC students and one retiree were among the 114 volunteers.

Specially-designed green, silver and gold pins were presented to participants at OCC’s annual Excellence Day ceremonies, April 19. Green pins represent an accumulation of four or more documented service hours, silver represents 20 or more hours, and gold, 40 or more.

The top volunteer was Auburn Hills Campus adjunct librarian Mary Howarth of Rochester Hills with a total of 64 hours.

Howarth volunteered with several organizations including the Rochester Hills Museum, the Rochester-Avon Historical Society, the League of Women Voters and Rochester’s Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve.

Ironically, she could not be present to accept her pin because of a previous commitment as a volunteer at the Rochester Hills Museum. “It’s good to realize that, along with other activities, volunteering can be an important part of your life,” she said.

Sixty-eight OCC employees were awarded green pins, six received silver, and four received gold. Eleven students received green pins.

Chancellor Meyer also presented each member of the OCC Board of Trustees with a gold pin at the board’s monthly business meeting of April 16. “The members of the current OCC Board of Trustees, who devote countless hours to the college’s betterment, certainly merit recognition of the highest order for their service to the college and community,” he said.

The 17 members of the OCC Foundation Board of Directors were also awarded gold pins.

Source: Oakland Community College press release