In the aftermath of the Second Lebanon War, dubbed as the 2006 July war, a remarkable momentum to volunteer-for-relief among students, faculty and staff founded a calling that led to a university-wide Task Force for Reconstruction. In 2008, after two years of sporadic efforts, the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) was established. CCE’s operations expanded significantly when Lebanon was hit by the record-setting blizzard Alexa in 2013, a storm of unprecedented strength, where dozens of refugees froze to death in their tented settlements. Immediately after, AUB volunteers stepped forward and initiated a clothes donation drive which developed into a multiyear intervention that integrates livelihoods, education, and psychosocial services to refugees undergoing protracted crises. Lastly, the Beirut Port blast on August 4, 2020, consolidated the Center’s position as a Frontline Respondent to further enhance the University’s impact, effectively promote civic engagement, and empower students as change makers. The war on Lebanon in 2024, and again in 2026, has further underscored AUB’s role as a frontliner, leading on humanitarian assistance for internally displaced populations across the country.