The WSU Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) is proud to announce that Ryan Lazo, CCE Community Partnerships Coordinator, is the 2017 recipient of the Washington State Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for AmeriCorps Alum. Lazo began working at the CCE in 2014 as an AmeriCorps VISTA tasked with coordinating the Palouse Fresh Food Project, which aims to increase the availability of fresh food for those community members who are food insecure, through service learning opportunities and community collaboration.
After completing his year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Lazo joined the CCE as a full time staff member. While his current position is centered on nurturing partnerships with community based organizations to develop opportunities for student engagement and volunteerism Lazo consistently goes above and beyond in his service to the community. Lazo remains deeply involved with several organizations addressing food insecurity and environmental sustainability across the Palouse region.
Lazo has volunteered his time serving on multiple boards and community collaborative efforts like the Council on Aging and Human Services, Palouse Cares, Whitman County Food Coalition, the Poverty Awareness Taskforce, and the Sustainability Committee for the local food co-op. He volunteers his time with several community organizations, whether it is serving crepes at a fundraising event for the Friends of the Clearwater, helping a local farmer’s market conduct a waste audit, volunteering his time with Special Olympics, coordinating the region’s largest food drive or teaching preschoolers how to compost with worms, he is always willing to jump in and meet the needs in our community.
Lazo’s continued commitment to his community regularly creates lasting impact and positive change around the Palouse. To learn more about the Palouse Fresh Food Project, visit cce.wsu.edu/foodproject.
