Cal State student volunteers prepare food boxes, hygiene kits

As part of their commitment to the broader community, 18 Cal State San Bernardino students volunteered their Saturday to prepare and pack food boxes and hygiene kits for needy families and the homeless at the San Bernardino City Mission in Highland.

Volunteers ranged from graduate students, undergraduates and students from the university’s Palm Desert Campus. 275 food boxes, each weighing 15 pounds, were packed and will be delivered to needy families and seniors within the community, said Bryant Fairley, assistant director of the CSUSB Office of Community Engagement, which coordinated the university’s volunteer efforts.

According to Fairley students also prepared 450 hygiene kits for the homeless and organized over 1,500 clothing items for the Mission’s closet.

The purpose of volunteer efforts such as Saturday’s is to facilitate service learning, community-based research and volunteer service by engaging students, faculty and community partners in collaborative partnerships that serve the public good.

The university-wide culture of community engagement is regarded as a high impact practice that contributes to students’ overall success, and cultivates engaged citizens.

Volunteers are scheduled to travel to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana during spring break to offer their time and assistance to needy families and help repair and rebuild homes of teachers victimized by the flooding, said Fairley.

The Louisiana outreach is a part of the TRACKS program, a collaboration of Associated Students Inc., the Student Recreation and Wellness Department, and the Office of Community Engagement.