Hundreds of volunteers are needed for Community Welcome, an annual program through Colorado State University and the City of Fort Collins designed to foster positive connections between students and area residents.

The 19th annual event is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 28, 4:30-8 p.m. Volunteers receive a complimentary dinner and dessert as well as a free T-shirt. Sign up is available at ocl.colostate.edu/community-welcome. The preferred registration deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 27.

This year’s event will include welcoming remarks by CSU President Joyce McConnell and Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell.

Each year, volunteers, who include community members as well as CSU faculty, staff, and students, visit more than 2,000 residences around campus and talk with neighbors about various topics. Often, this event serves to raise the community’s awareness of new and existing ordinances in Fort Collins.

Additionally, the volunteers encourage neighbors to get out and meet each other, providing residents with the new “Art of Neighboring” brochures to exchange names and contact information to create positive relationships with new and old neighbors.

“Community Welcome provides an opportunity for CSU police, staff and students to work with Fort Collins police, staff, and long-term residents,” said Jenn Rieskamp, community liaison for CSU and the City of Fort Collins. “All of these groups team up to knock on the doors of homes surrounding the CSU campus, welcoming back students, chatting with residents, and providing valuable materials on good-neighboring, community standards, and other important information.”