Call it controlled chaos at Cal State San Bernardino to help those in need.
The university’s Yasuda Center was a whirlwind of nonstop activity on Saturday morning, Oct. 22, created by 100 freshmen.
One group of students unpacked pallets, each loaded with non-perishable foods, while a second group placed that food into smaller boxes. A third group checked to ensure each box had the right contents, followed by another group that taped the boxes shut. Finally, the last group of students carried the sealed boxes outside and stacked them onto pallets.
The CSUSB first-year students had volunteered to box food for the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County to help needy families as part of national Make a Difference Day. Started in 1992, Make a Difference Day is one of the largest national days of community service in the United States. Celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in October, thousands of volunteers unite in a common mission to improve the lives of others.
Brandon Romano, the food bank program manager for the partnership, told the students that every month the agency supplies food to 17,000 needy families throughout the county. He added that the food boxed by the students was to “supplement the limited resources of needy families.
“But for a lot of those families, this is the only food they will have,” Romano said. “This is what those families rely on.”
Diane Podolske, director of CSUSB’s Office of Community Engagement, which organized the event, said volunteering to help the needy was part of the university’s heritage of serving the community and introducing that tradition to freshmen.
“We want to show our newest students that volunteering is part of being a Coyote. Our institution prides itself on being a good neighbor, and this is part of it,” Podolske said. “This is our university’s effort to get our students to participate in this national day of service and energize them to serve long after they graduate.”
Earlier this month, Cal State San Bernardino was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the ninth consecutive year. The honor recognized CSUSB for its service to the community during the past 12 months, when students, faculty and staff contributed more than 95,000 volunteer hours to local communities, Podolske said.
Launched in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raise the visibility of effective practices in campus community partnerships. The designation by the Corporation for National and Community Service is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
Chidiuto Agbakwurn, a biology major who plans to go into nursing, joined with her friends filling boxes with food.
“There are things that have to be done to help people,” said the San Bernardino resident. “I would do this again.”
On the other side of the large room, biology major Jacob Huber assembled boxes for the others to use.
“I like this. It’s a good cause and I can’t think of a better way to spend my day,” said Huber. “I highly recommend it. It’s a good feeling.”
After more than 90 minutes, the work ended 30 minutes earlier than expected as the volunteers had filled all the assembled boxes – more than 650 – packing a total of more than 15,000 pounds of food.
Visit the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County website for more information on its programs. Also visit the CSUSB Office of Community Engagement website for campus-related events.
For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.