EUGENE, Ore. -- (Oct. 30, 2009) - Sometimes being a good neighbor means helping with yard work and other chores.

On Nov. 9, University of Oregon students will give back to the communities in which they live by participating in a day of service in three adjacent campus neighborhoods.

In the Fairmount neighborhood, students will remove ivy and other invasive species of plants from the forest floor at Hendricks Park. Volunteers working in the South and West University neighborhoods will pick up trash, plant trees and remove weeds at local public parks.

The UO Holden Leadership Center's new program, Duck Corps, matches UO students, faculty and staff with areas of service that are of interest to them. Duck Corps, the UO Student Alumni Association and volunteers from each neighborhood association teamed up to coordinate the service learning projects.

"It's important for the community to know that we support them because they support us. We care about the whole city, not just campus," said Carissa Surace, a student and member of the UO Student Alumni Association.

The effort, which coincides with the start of homecoming 2009 activities, is a collaboration between the South University Neighborhood Association, West University Neighbors, Fairmount Neighbors Association, UO Office of Government and Community Relations, UO Holden Leadership Center and the UO Student Alumni Association.

"Giving back is rewarding to me because it has a direct impact on the area in which I live, and it is a great way to be involved in the community and interact with others," said Jackson Hite, UO student and chair of the West University Neighbors.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

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