A home for Generosity in Service
The Center for Humanitarian Engagement (CHE) is a student-driven initiative of Walla Walla University to curate intentional opportunities to support our community. From one-off volunteer projects to career-building program development, WWU students are equipped to engage in sustainable acts of service while making neighbors out of strangers along the way.
At College Ave and 4th St, a historic building on the corner of campus is being given a new purpose—for purpose. Gathering all our student-led, community-serving programs under one roof allows WWU to better collaborate and connect with partners and residents in College Place and beyond:
- Walla Walla Tool Library members will see expanded tool lending hours, improved tool repair, and a makerspace for hands-on creation.
- The Blue Mountain Volunteer Corps, Hey Neighbor Neighbor, and U-Crew will operate with efficient office and meeting spaces.
- Service days, CARE Weekends, and emergency response projects will have proper launch points with organized, on-site supplies.
The CHE building will be a place where WWU students turn classroom projects into real-world change, personal passions into lives of impact, and bold ideas into meaningful action. This renovation does more than improve our current operations—it opens new doors with a large assembly space, a warming kitchen, and ADA restrooms.
The ground-level floor plan includes:
1. Multipurpose community auditorium
2. Service-program headquarters
3. Collaborative workshops
4. Tool Library and makerspace
5. Neighborhood warming kitchen
6. Family-friendly event restrooms
The assembly space includes a mezzanine, which will lead to an additional upstairs area—an expansion project to be completed at a later stage.
Renovation work began July 2026 with a group of Maranatha volunteers:
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By students, for College Place
The good work continues uninterrupted by this construction—and relies on you! Donations power the student-driven community initiatives that exemplify Generosity in Service, including the ministries of the Walla Walla Tool Library, U-Crew, Hey Neighbor Neighbor, CARE Weekends, and WWU's service days:
Your gift helps inspire the generous and compassionate leaders of tomorrow by empowering students to make a difference in their community today. Thank you.
Students seek a higher education that will change their lives—and they find it at a school where they can change the lives of others. WWU's commitment to service-learning expands with this new operational base for CHE! We invite you to support the next generation of Christian service. Designate your financial contribution towards the CHE building renovation project:
Leave a legacy of life-changing impact! Please contact executive director David Lopez to learn how you can sponsor a major portion of the CHE building campaign:
(509) 527-2100 | david.lopez@wallawalla.edu