On the final day of Cal State Long Beach’s Seven Days of Service, 150 student volunteers spent their Saturday painting for the elderly and disabled at the Friendly Village mobile home park in North Long Beach.
Kristen Lawson, board member and founding member of Rebuilding Together, said the students represented $2,500 of work manpower. The organization also received donations from local businesses like R.M. Hasen Painting and Frazee Paint who together donated more that 40 gallons of paint. Lawson said they also received about $1,800 in donations.
Nicole Hall, a senior journalism major, said this is her second year participating. “I enjoyed the experience so much the first time I decided to do it again,” she said. Hall was there representing her sorority, LamBda Sigma Gamma, along with Heather Browning, Jennifer Ratner and Azucena Delacruz.
This was the sixth year CSULB has partnered with Rebuilding Together and eighth overall participating in Make a Difference Day, created by USA Weekend magazine as a national day of helping others.
Brett Weatherford from Student Life and Development organized the CSULB part of Rebuilding Together.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to get involved in community service and encourage citizenship. My hope is they all catch the community service bug and get others involved,” Weatherford said.
Five homes were painted at Friendly Village and one at another site. Rebuilding Together was also instrumental in CSULB students participating in the alternative spring break trip to Lake Charles, La.
Nationally, Rebuilding Together has more than 10,000 volunteers who rehabilitate houses for the elderly, disabled and those with low income to provide safety and security. There are 240 affiliates nationwide, and the Long Beach chapter was founded in 1992 by Lawson and a few others.
Jasmine Winfield, a senior political science major, said it was there representing the track and field athletes. “For me, volunteering for a job like this you get to see results, immediate change and folks reaction. These people are elderly and disabled; they can’t be out there doing this type of stuff,” she said.
Board member Diane Anglin said the organization received quite a bit of help from businesses like Robeks Juice, Staples, Ala Carte Caterers, the Clippers, the Lakers and the Clark Construction Group, which provided guidance and safety support.