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MUH volunteers lining up for fall’s Day of Caring

Volunteers helped landscape at Mercy Franciscan at St. Raphael, 610 High Street in Hamilton, in May. Volunteers were students and teachers from Butler Tech in Fairfield Twp. and employees from First Financial Bank in Hamilton.

Contributed photo Volunteers helped landscape at Mercy Franciscan at St. Raphael, 610 High Street in Hamilton, in May. Volunteers were students and teachers from Butler Tech in Fairfield Twp. and employees from First Financial Bank in Hamilton.

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By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer Updated 9:04 AM Tuesday, September 7, 2010

HAMILTON — More than half of the volunteers signed up for Butler County United Way’s semi-annual Day of Caring campaign are from Miami University Hamilton.

The fall Day of Caring is Saturday, Sept. 11, which coincides with the national Day of Service and Remembrance, and event coordinator Stephanie Raker said 45 people have signed up to volunteer with a handful of projects.

“It’s a way for the community to give back, and individuals to help the agencies in the community,” Raker said.

Kelli Johnson, Miami Hamilton’s Center for Civic Engagement director, said the school participated for the first time during the spring Day of Caring in May. About 12 — half students and half faculty — participated.

“We think this kind of work is important,” Johnson said. “Because we are a regional campus, we have a strong commitment to our communities. This is part of what we see as our mission.”

It also gives a chance for students to become involved, she said.

“Many of our students have not done a lot of volunteering before they come this way,” Johnson said, “so this is a good chance (for them) to see what the community’s like, what some of the needs are, to meet each other.”

Of the 24 volunteers from Miami Hamilton, Johnson said 10 are exchange students from China. They are studying at the campus for the semester.

“I think it’s interesting for them to see what the volunteer ethic is like here in America because lots of Americans volunteer,” Johnson said.

Raker said during the Day of Caring in May, 112 people volunteered to work about 10 projects. Last fall, 50 volunteered to work 11 projects.

Raker said there’s still time to sign up to be a volunteer, or request a project be completed. Visit the Butler County United Way website at www.bc-unitedway.org to download the volunteer application. For details, call (513) 863-0800.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or mpitman@coxohio.com. Follow at twitter.com/mdpitman.

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