Each year at least one-third of the Lawrence student body participates in volunteer activities within the community. The Volunteer and Community Service Center, located in Raymond House, provides volunteer information and referrals for Lawrence students, faculty, and staff. Staffed and operated by eight LU students and two part-time professional staff members, the center documents student service hours, helps facilitate the activities of several student organizations dedicated to service, and holds Service Council meetings once a month to help organizations work together and be informed of service projects. The center also works closely with community organizations to establish volunteering opportunities.

Some of the events and community organizations with which Lawrence student volunteers have worked are:

Over the years, Lawrence volunteers have paid particular attention to working with at-risk youth, those children in the community at risk of failing to complete their education.

The Volunteers in Tutoring at Lawrence program (VITAL), established in 1992, matches LU student volunteers with Appleton elementary, junior high, and high school students in tutoring relationships covering a variety of subject areas. Each tutoring session lasts an hour per week and takes place at the Mudd Library at Lawrence.

The Lawrence Assistance Reaching Youth Program, also known as LARY, provides one-on-one mentoring of local youth at Edison Elementary School. LARY was publicly recognized in 1991, being designated by President George Bush as the nation's 312th Point of Light.

Community groups interested in hosting Lawrence volunteers, as well as Lawrence students interested in volunteering their services, may contact the Volunteer and Community Service Center at (920) 832-6644.

The mailing address is Volunteer and Community Service Center, Lawrence University, 711 East Boldt Way, Appleton, WI 54911-5626.