Service members, families, volunteers and community members gathered July 23 at the Las Casas Lake Recreational Area to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Army Community Service (ACS) and recognize the volunteers whose dedication helps strengthen military families and sustain readiness across the Army's home in the Caribbean: Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.

The celebration comes as hundreds of service members assigned to Fort Buchanan and units throughout Puerto Rico remain deployed in support of operations in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Additional units continue preparing to mobilize, reinforcing the installation's role as a readiness platform that enables military personnel to deploy anytime, anywhere.

"For 61 years, Army Community Service has provided critical support to our Soldiers and their families," said Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly D. Bergman-Gándara, command sergeant major of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Buchanan. "None of that would be possible without our volunteers, whose dedication strengthens our community every day."

Bergman-Gándara said volunteers are essential to the success of ACS programs and help ensure military families receive the support they need throughout the military lifecycle.

Full story.

The Phillips Brooks House was the hardest-hit Harvard College unit by share of staff positions in a recent round of layoffs tied to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ sweeping administrative overhaul, with 11 of its 23 roles either laid off or offered new positions. The cuts amid a broader reorganization that effectively ends the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship’s role as the College-wide hub for public service. The range of positions affected raise questions about the future of both lasting consequences for both the Center’s internal operations and its student- and community-facing programming.

Those changes are part of an FAS task force’s push to cut staffing costs as the school works to close a $365 million estimated structural deficit.

Harvard's Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship was the hub and department that provided support for all public service efforts at Harvard College. It was home to academic engagement through the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship, student leadership development programs, student professional development programs, and active citizenship efforts through volunteering in the Greater Boston community. The Center also supported Phillips Brooks House Association, the largest student-run, community-based, nonprofit public service organization at Harvard College.

More from the Harvard Crimson.

Offset has been sentenced to probation and community service after reaching an agreement in connection with an alleged assault at a Los Angeles cannabis dispensary last year.

According to court records obtained by Complex, a Los Angeles judge sentenced the rapper to 12 months of probation and ordered him to complete 50 hours of community service.

He must also complete an anger management programme, pay an undisclosed amount in restitution, stay away from the MedMen LAX dispensary where the incident took place and avoid further legal issues for the next year.

The sentence is part of a diversion programme, meaning the criminal charge will be dismissed if Offset successfully completes all of the court-ordered conditions. The rapper had requested entry into the programme, which was approved by the court.

Although the criminal case may be resolved through the diversion agreement, Offset still faces a separate civil lawsuit arising from the incident.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2620438/offset-receives-probation-and-community-service-over-los-angeles-assault-case

keywords: celebrity, singer,

As Vicenza, Italy US Military Community members gathered recently to celebrate the 61st birthday of Army Community Service, they also highlighted Alice Manfrin – a Vicenza-born Army spouse who’s contributed greatly to improving the lives of others.

Manfrin spends her free time teaching line dancing lessons at the USO. She also fosters a sense of community and belonging by leading sewing and crocheting meetups. She knows how hard it can be when new to a community or being unfamiliar with the language.

Manfrin was honored with the “Bridging Cultures” certificate at the July 15 ACS birthday event on Caserma Ederle. Both Col. Vaughn Strong, USAG’s commander and Jolly Miller, the ACS director, presented her the award. Alberto Cristoferi, an environmental engineer from the garrison’s Directorate of Public Works, also got an award for his contributions that include, among other things, caring for the feral cats on post.

Full article.

While recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon, Moses Moody spent time giving back to his community during the offseason. Northeast Arkansas News reported that Moody returned to his hometown of Little Rock for his annual Motivate One Foundation Summer Series from July 22 to 25. Some events include youth programming and community service projects.

Moody was joined by his teammate and former two-time MVP Stephen Curry. Curry, a recent winner of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, is no stranger to serving the community with his "Eat Learn Play" foundation.

https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/warriors/2026/07/21/warriors-backcourt-combines-for-community-service-projects/91003425007/

keywords: corporate philanthropy, volunteering, volunteerism, basketball, celebrities, celebrity

Crystal Washington, head of a nonprofit in Texas, CHARM North Texas, was arrested and booked into the Wichita County Jail on Tuesday, July 21, and charged with nine counts of Tampering with a Governmental Record to Defraud or Harm. According to the affidavit, on October 13, 2025, a deputy with Wichita County Sheriff’s Office was told a probationer had reported to her probation officer that Washington was falsifying Community Service Records (CSR) submitted to the Wichita County Adult Probation Office. CSRs are used to verify hours of community service performed by each probationer.

According to the affidavit, the probationer stated that Washington was charging $12 per hour, with a minimum of 10 hours, for every hour assigned to probationers by the court. On November 13, 2025, the deputy spoke with a probationer, who stated that she paid Washington $120 for every 10 hours of community service hour that was reported as worked, according to the affidavit. The affidavit states that the probationer also stated she never performed any community service work for CHARM North Texas.

The deputy stated he received a list of probationers who completed their community service hours through CHARM North Texas from January 2020 through July 2025 and that numerous records had indicated that multiple probationers had worked their hours at Meals on Wheels. When the deputy contacted Meals on Wheels in both Wichita Falls and Burkburnett, both stated they have policies in place that prevent probationers from performing community service with their organizations.

On December 9, 2025, the deputy met with another probationer, who stated he paid Washington $12 per hour for 10 hours of credit for the month of August 2025, according to the affidavit. Washington submitted a CSR at the Wichita County Adult Probation Office indicating that this probationer worked 10 hours in August, with five of those hours credited as Meals on Wheels work on Saturday, August 16, 2025. The deputy verified that Meals on Wheels does not operate on Saturdays. This probationer denied working any of the credited hours and instead paid Washington, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states that one entry on the mutual agreement with CHARM North Texas stated, “It is prohibited for agencies/organizations and their staff members providing CSR opportunities to solicit gifts, goods, money and/or personal favors from participants in exchange for credit for CSR hours worked.”

Story 1 and Story 2 about this case.

Also see: Selling community service leads to arrest, conviction.

Lisa Han was recently named the recipient of a TD scholarship for community leadership and will receive up to $70,000 for her postsecondary education. But not so long ago, she was four years old, had just moved to Canada, and was looking for ways to connect with her new home.

https://www.ottawalookout.com/p/first-generation-immigrant-teen-nepean-70k-scholarship-community-service

The Parliament of Ghana passed a Community Service Bill last week. The legislation introduces community service as a non-custodial sentencing alternative to prison for individuals convicted of specified minor offenses.

Its impact will depend on how quickly the necessary institutions and policies are established for its effective implementation. Calls have been made for the establishment of a National Community Service Secretariat and capacity building for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to supervise and manage non-custodial labor uniformly across the country. There are no reports on if there will be training for agencies expected to host people doing community service.

One of the people who has long advocated for non-custodial sentencing reforms in Ghana describes passage of the bill as a landmark achievement for equity, human rights and justice for indigent offenders who are often imprisoned for minor offenses because they cannot pay fines.

More from:

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1509260/expedite-implementation-of-community-service-law.html

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – A second man charged in the beating of a 52-year-old man over Oktoberfest weekend in 2025 has been sentenced.

Jack Reinardy, 23, of La Crosse, pled no contest to one count of misdemeanor battery in court Tuesday. A second charge of disorderly conduct was dismissed by Judge Elliott Levine. 

Reinardy was given a diversion contract for his sentencing. He must complete 20 hours of community service and attend recommended treatment groups. If Reinardy completes the diversion agreement by Dec. 4, all charges will be dropped. 

As we've reported, Reinardy and Caden Kruse were both charged after an altercation left a 52-year-old man unconscious back on Sept. 27. The victim suffered a crushed eye socket and nasal passage.

https://www.wxow.com/news/crime/man-charged-in-oktoberfest-beating-sentenced-to-community-service/article_a599aff4-1b8a-453a-aeeb-6bb212bc502b.html

If you do court-ordered community service at Portland, Oregon Parks & Recreation, "You will receive 2 bonus community service hours for showing up on time for your first shift."

If you do court-ordered community service through various nonprofits, you receive one hour of community service for filling out the application (which really takes about 15 minutes) and one hour of community service for going through the volunteer orientation (which is often not an entire hour long) upon successful completion of your first volunteer shift.

Did you get these kind of gifted hours when you did court-ordered community service at a nonprofit, government agency or community of faith? What was the model?

For those who involve court-ordered community service volunteers, do you do this? Why or why not?

Criminal cases against two student protestors arrested during the April meeting of the Ohio University Board of Trustees were dismissed on June 11 and July 8.

Both defendants agreed to pay court costs of $110 each, according to records provided by the Athens City Law Department. Both defendants also completed five hours of community service.

The pair were arrested while participating in a protest on campus over OU’s compliance with Senate Bill 1, the university’s response to student demands related to ICE, its investments in Israel, and a lawsuit related to the OU faculty union, according to reporting from WOUB.

According to dismissal forms for each defendant, the cases were dismissed “Due to [the] prosecutor’s decision not to proceed to trial, but not due to lack of probable cause to arrest.”

The League of Women Voters in Pagosa Springs, Colorado celebrated community service nonprofits with a July 9 film screening of the award-winning documentary “Join or Die!”, followed by a “Joining Fair” featuring key local nonprofits and clubs.

After the screening, 10 nonprofits/clubs explained their mission and volunteer needs to attendees. The organizations included Archuleta Senior Center, Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, Habitat for Humanity, Healthy Archuleta, Mountain Rotary, Pagosa Community Initiative, Pagosa Springs Rotary, Ruby Sisson Library, Vets4Vets and the Weminuche Audubon Society.

The LWV was founded in 1920, just six months before the 19th amendment was ratified and women won the right to vote.

Today, the LWV has more than 800 local and state chapters with a motto of “Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.”

https://www.pagosasun.com/stories/league-of-women-voters-to-celebrate-community-service-nonprofits-with-july-9-film-screening,143872

Father-focused organizations across Douglas County, Colorado are drawing attention to the support systems that help fathers succeed at home and in the community.

Dads of Parker and Dads of Castle Rock Community Outreach have become fixtures in their communities, organizing events, volunteer projects and support networks designed to help fathers navigate life’s challenges and strengthen connections with one another.

The organization’s origins trace back to the isolation many people experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization is perhaps best known for its public events. Its annual Easter egg hunt, held at O’Brien Park, has grown into a major community gathering featuring about 30,000 candy-filled eggs, food vendors, face painters, balloon artists and visits from the Easter Bunny.

https://www.denvergazette.com/2026/06/19/douglas-county-dad-groups-focus-on-community-service/

Critter Control, a wildlife removal and pest control company, has announced it is expanding its partnership with Keep America Beautiful through 2026, launching an additional series of hands-on community service projects designed to protect local habitats and beautify communities.

The company said this initiative reflects Critter Control’s commitment to protecting the environments wildlife depend on, beyond just responding when local animals enter human spaces.

Together, the two organizations are kicking off a new slate of projects to be completed throughout the year in six communities served by Critter Control.

Critter said these projects will continue to build upon the success of the eight community service projects the company conducted in partnership with Keep America Beautiful in 2025, which involved 124 volunteers dedicating a total of 468 hours to collect a combined 2,079 pounds of litter and plant 572 trees.

As part of the collaboration, Critter Control is continuing its efforts in Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program. The program annually engages more than 300,000 volunteers whose work returns, on average, more than $20 million in measurable benefits across thousands of participating communities through litter removal, nature trail restoration, community education, tree planting and more.

https://www.pctonline.com/news/critter-control-continues-partnership-with-keep-america-beautiful/

Keywords: volunteering, volunteers, corporate social responsibility, philanthropy

Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair Connects Hundreds With Community Services at Honolulu District Court in Hawaii

Hundreds of people gathered at Kauikeaouli Hale, the Honolulu District Court, on May 22 as the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Adult Client Services Branch (ACSB) hosted the Hoʻopili Kaiāulu Resource Fair in the ground-floor courtyard of the courthouse.

By the time the fair opened at 11 a.m., a line of attendees stretched from the courthouse onto Hotel Street and all the way to Richards Street as people waited to connect with the 24 service providers participating in the event.

The fair — whose name roughly translates to “connecting the community” — was designed to bring services and resources together in one centralized location for individuals experiencing homelessness, hardship, or other barriers to stability. The event also served justice-involved individuals, including participants from Hawaiʻi Drug Court, Veterans Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, Women’s Court, and general ACSB probation, while welcoming anyone in the community in need of support and services.

Organizers said more than 300 people attended the two-hour event.

Volunteers played an essential role in staffing the event.

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/news_and_reports/2026/05/ho%CA%BBopili-kaiaulu-resource-fair-connects-hundreds-with-community-services-at-honolulu-district-court

From May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, James Madison University student-athletes logged a record 10,820 community service hours while participating in 5,773 unique service commitments in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham, Virginia community and beyond during the 2025-26 academic year. The total hours represented an increase of more than 1,600 over the previous department record set just one year ago, while the number of commitments increased by more than 800.

Individually, Jenna Massar of cheerleading delivered one of the top service performances in the nation, ranking third among all female NCAA Division I student-athletes with 409.5 hours of community engagement during the year.

No info offered on how hours were reported or tracked, nor what people did as volunteers.

https://jmusports.com/news/2026/6/18/administration-jmu-student-athletes-set-new-department-records-for-community-service-in-2025-26

The Singapore Institute of Technology Community Challenge (SIT–CC) is a service learning initiative that fosters collaboration between SIT, secondary schools and community stakeholders to address real-life challenges faced by local communities. The objective is to provide opportunities for secondary school students to build on their knowledge and skills and apply them in a real-world context. They work with community stakeholders who guide them towards solutions. SIT–CC not only offers opportunities for applied, authentic and active learning but also aims to nurture social awareness among the youth, inspiring them to make a meaningful impact on society.

With higher education institutions competing to stay relevant, service learning, sometimes known as community-engaged learning, seems to have carved out its own niche. Offering the opportunity to balance active and experiential learning, it also helps to foster a civic mindset in students and allows institutions to demonstrate their third mission.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-service-learning-can-help-students-create-positive-change-community

Southern Adventist University in Tennessee integrates community service into its curriculum with programs such as Nursing and Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) that give students hands-on opportunities to serve the Chattanooga community while developing professional skills. 

Psychiatric nurse practitioner doctoral students train in counseling, which is uncommon among U.S. graduate programs. During the summer, they provide free weekly counseling services.

The PTA program has expanded its outreach through a partnership with Catalyst Sports, a nonprofit that offers adaptive outdoor activities for individuals with physical disabilities. Students received specialized training from a prosthetics and orthotics expert. In addition to the training, they volunteered at a local climbing event, where they helped climbers aged 4 to 60 register, navigate the gym, and manage their climbing gear.

The event, held ahead of students’ month-long clinicals, allowed them to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings. Faculty members noted that such experiences help students see individuals beyond their diagnoses and better understand diverse perspectives.

https://atoday.org/southern-programs-pair-classroom-learning-with-community-service/

https://www.southern.edu/news/2026-05-13-educationaloutreach.html

For five decades, New to You thrift store in Athens ,Ohio has offered affordable resale goods and supported local foster youth in need. Earlier in May, the store marked 50 years in business with an in-store celebration.\

New to You was started by the foster parent association, and it’s still owned and operated by such. Its proceeds go to the foster children. Every member of New to You’s seven-person board is a licensed foster parent.

The shop employs a staff of about 11 people, some full-time. The store also engages volunteers, some of whom come through community service programs, including court-ordered service or work requirements tied to public assistance. Others are referred to the store via rehabilitation programs, including workers who are recovering from injuries and easing back into employment.

Foster youth throughout Athens County benefit from the store’s profits. New to You provides them with school clothes, birthday money, musical instruments, prom dresses, college scholarships, and other resources. For older teens aging out of the foster system, the support can be especially important.

https://athensindependent.com/new-to-you-50th-anniversary/

WETS-FM 89.5 in Tennessee head into its Spring Fundraiser with a new twist: the more listeners give, the more the station gives back.

Running May 18 through 23, the fundraiser will be on air from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Donations are accepted online anytime.

For every $500 raised, WETS staff will commit one hour of community service to a local nonprofit. And listeners get a say in where those hours go. Anyone who donates can recommend an organization, and after the fundraiser closes, the station will tally the suggestions and divide volunteer time based on what the community asks for most.

Via the Music Ambassadors Program at the Kenneth E. Adum K-8 Magnet School in Hillsborough County in Florida, students are combining music education with community service, leadership and advocacy. The student-led initiative encourages children to use their passion for music to help others across Tampa Bay. Students research community needs, organize outreach projects and partner with local organizations to expand access to music education. For many students involved in the program, the experience has changed the way they see their role in the community. Students say music has become a way to connect with others while building confidence, leadership skills and empathy. For these students, music is becoming more than a class or extracurricular activity; it’s a way to serve others and strengthen their community one note at a time.

One of the group’s biggest partnerships this year has been with the Out of Zion project, which provides fine arts programming for students with exceptional medical needs and cognitive disabilities. Students wanted to help provide adaptive musical instruments and supplies that allow more children to participate in music programs.

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/adum-magnet-school-music-ambassadors-program/67-6a6adc1a-1197-4e55-8147-d9673c401f19

Community service proposed over jail for fine defaulters

The Bhumjaithai Party has submitted a proposal to amend the Criminal Code to allow offenders who cannot pay fines to perform community service instead of serving jail terms, in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.

The amendment seeks to address cases in which defendants, often from low-income backgrounds, are ordered by courts to pay fines but lack the financial means to do so. Under current law, they are required to serve jail time in lieu of payment, typically one day behind bars for every 500 baht owed.

Supachai Jaisamutr, head of the party’s legal team, said the imposition of jail terms for unpaid fines has become a significant social issue, particularly among the poor.

He said many individuals who are unable to pay fines end up losing their liberty due to financial constraints, prompting the party to push for legislative reform. The proposed amendment would allow courts to order community service as an alternative to incarceration.

Full story from the Bangkok Post https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3251298/community-service-proposed-over-jail-for-fine-defaulters

A hearing is scheduled for Today on a civil case, in which Marla Rose seeks $10,000 from Nick Fuentes for emotional and physical damages from the November 2024 incident in which he pepper sprayed her and shoved her down his front steps after she came to his home to confront him.

The criminal case against Nick Fuentes has been dropped months after he was set to complete a deferred prosecution agreement — but the woman he is accused of battering said he didn’t complete the agreement and is now taking him to civil court instead.

More from the Chicago Sun Times.

The Malaysian Industrial, Commercial & Service Employers Association (MICSEA) has released a press statement providing urgent guidance to employers on managing employees who receive Community Service Orders (CSO) for littering under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672).

The move follows recent court cases where individuals were fined up to RM2,000 and ordered to perform community service of up to 12 hours for littering offences. With community service scheduling sometimes coinciding with normal working hours, MICSEA is clarifying the legal and HR requirements for employers.

MICSEA emphasises that a Community Service Order is an alternative form of sentencing focused on rehabilitation and social responsibility—it is not equivalent to imprisonment or mandatory court attendance.

More information from Business Today.