Students interested in playing an active role in community service projects can join Friends of Cincinnatus, a new student group dedicated to increasing community service involvement.

“We are public servants who want to help with community service,” said President Michael Bennett. “There needs to be a group at GW that goes out together as a large group, not just two or three people to help.”

Friends of Cincinnatus was named after a Roman general who was considered a model citizen, Bennett said.

The group, formed two months ago, already has planned several community service projects such as volunteering with Miriam’s Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity and Foggy Bottom Clean-up. One the group’s main goals is to establish a yearlong project.

The 14-member group plans to expand by recruiting individuals who have community service experience and strong leadership skills, Bennett said.

Bennett said he thinks Friends of Cincinnatus stands out among other service organizations on campus.

“We are not just an organization, but everything you would want from a group of friends,” Bennett said. “We are committed to improving the surrounding community while providing for the GW community activities aimed at intellectual expansion.”

Each member is encouraged to take an active and equal role from the beginning, Bennett said.

“Everyone who joins defines their own role as an official,” he said. “Each person has an equal vote and an individual voice.”

To apply, students are required to submit a r?sum? and a paragraph on the ideal community service experience to the University Honors Program at 2138 G St. For more information, contact Friends of Cincinnatus at [email protected].