The Center for Civic Engagement celebrated its 20th anniversary Thursday and commemorated the positive changes it has created in the community.

“It was a struggle at first because there were so few resources,” said Anne Remaley, the first director of the Community Service Learning Center. “We had to build everything from the ground up.”

The CCE did not have many resources when it opened doors for students, CCE Director Melanie Brown said.

The center did not own any vehicles until one was donated in 1997, and the vehicle saw them through a few years of community service until they received a new one, Brown said. The center now has four vehicles.

An information pamphlet distributed at the celebration revealed that in the past 20 years, 61,564 students have volunteered 505,095 hours. The center has collaborated with more than 450 campus partners and 1,300 community partners to create a culture of civic engagement.

Statistics show the center had a major increase of volunteers since it opened. When its doors first opened, 380 volunteers contributed to projects, and between 2011 and 2012, 7, 876 students contributed to projects, which resulted in 74,000 hours of service, according to the pamphlet.

“Over the years I’ve been asked many times if we’re limited by the size of our local community,” Brown said. “If there is a limit, were not there yet, but in fact I actually believe there is no limit. There’s no end to opportunities for the students to engage, to engage with communities in positive ways.”

Any student can volunteer after filling out paperwork, said Erin McIlraith, marketing and communications director for the center.

The CCE offers 25-30 projects a week, and students may sign up for six service project opportunities a day. The Student Resource Center has services for students who need advice on opportunities relating to their match, Brown said.

Brown said $950,000 in education awards were distributed to students involved with the center throughout the past 20 years. The majority of the funds were grants provided by a Federal Service Program, AmeriCorps.

For the first four years, the center provided four programs: education and literacy, environmental science, elder care, and human care. The center has since expanded to provide any service opportunity available for students, and opportunities are diverse. Remaley said opportunities can be based on personal interest as well.

“We see what students are interested in, and we add service,” Remaley said.