AN ESTIMATED 40 VOLUNTEER hours recorded in February by TRiO students in support of the Southern Missouri Homebuilders Association’s annual playhouse giveaway has helped Missouri State University-West Plains reach 90 percent of its goal for Operation 50K. The year-long community service initiative began following 2013 commencement ceremonies as a way to honor the campus’ 50th anniversary. For the past 10 months, faculty, staff, students and those with ties to the university have been recording their volunteer hours online, and as of Monday afternoon, over 45,000 hours of service have been reported. TRiO students spent an estimated 20 hours painting the playhouse on Feb. 15 and another 20 hours working the homebuilders association’s annual Home and Garden Show March 1 and 2 at the West Plains Civic Center. The playhouse is being given away to raise funds for West Plains Area Habitat for Humanity. University officials encourage eligible volunteers to continue recording their hours so that the 50,000-hour goal can be met by commencement in May. For more information about Operation 50K and how to record hours, visit http://blogs.wp.missouristate.edu/volunteer/. With the playhouse above are TRiO students, from left, Paydon Guernsey, Adam Burgess and Elizabeth Gaines, all of West Plains. (Missouri State-West Plains Photo)
TRiO students help university reach 90 percent of Operation 50K goal