CSUSB Magazine
Amidst a pandemic, Coyotes still help the public good
Although in-person volunteer gatherings and events have been severely limited this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cal State San Bernardino community continues its longstanding tradition and commitment of helping the public and promoting service learning.
With an average of 96,000 total hours of volunteer work service annually in local communities, CSUSB students are dedicated to making a difference, and with campus resources like the Office of Community Engagement, opportunities to get involved remain accessible, even amidst a global pandemic.
“Our approach in the Office of Community Engagement is to empower and enable CSUSB students to engage with their communities – in class and outside of class,” said Camelia Fowler, administrative analyst/specialist of the office.
To keep the momentum going during the pandemic, the Office of Community Engagement compiled a list of remote volunteer opportunities to help CSUSB students, faculty and staff remain virtually engaged. From reading lines that can be used in assistive technology to classifying sources of noise so scientists can better understand gravitational waves, this thorough list is divided by the university’s five colleges.
“We believe the only way our communities will regain their footing following the pandemic is through the targeted efforts of all partners, including the CSU system, toward the goals of rebuilding and growth”
In addition, the office led the way for National Volunteer Week in April, encouraging the campus community to participate in various virtual activities, including a scavenger hunt and volunteer fair. The fair featured videos from nonprofit agencies in San Bernardino and Riverside counties with information about volunteer service opportunities that impact critical community issues.
“We believe the only way our communities will regain their footing following the pandemic is through the targeted efforts of all partners, including the CSU system, toward the goals of rebuilding and growth,” said Diane Podolske, director of the Office of Community Engagement.
And even beyond the Office of Community Engagement, CSUSB students, faculty and staff have been branching out into their own communities to make a difference during the pandemic, with many acts of service directly related to COVID-19.
Take Desmond Petway for instance. The finance and accounting MBA student helped distribute COVID-19 test kits to the greater Los Angeles area with the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE).
“We would help on average about 1,000 people per day with COVID tests,” he said. “These tests were essential in helping individuals and I am so glad to be a part of the CORE team.”
Other standout students include Georgette Guzman, nursing major, whose COVID-19 volunteer efforts included staffing vaccine sites, distributing lunch to seniors in a drive-through event, and delivering hygiene items to homeless individuals; Jeffrey Truong, public health education major, who checked in patients for COVID-19 vaccines; and Emily Preciado, biology major, who helped translate between patients and doctors and retrieve medical records.
“These valuable contributions of time and talent are critical resources for local nonprofit, school and government agencies to address community needs”
Many CSUSB faculty and staff have also volunteered their efforts.
For instance, Reveka Shteynberg, assistant professor of criminal justice, partnered with Foster Advocates, a St. Paul, Minnesota nonprofit dedicated to foster advocacy, policy change and community organizing. Shteynberg assisted a project examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on foster youth across Minnesota, resulting in an impact report that summarizes the results of a survey and focus groups and provides practical recommendations for policy and practice.
Her efforts helped the nonprofit analyze data and draft the report, which included an interpretation of the qualitative and quantitative survey and focus group data, linking findings with existing research and providing support with the overarching framing of the narrative and recommendations.
The Foster Youth COVID-19 Impact Report, which has the first state-specific data showing the impact of COVID-19 on foster youth, provided the data needed for Foster Advocates to advocate for COVID-19 support funds for impacted fosters. The nonprofit organization has been able to use the data for critical advocacy and to secure CARES funding from Hennepin County, Minnesota. The funding has provided $1,500 payments to 120 impacted Foster youth, focusing on those who just aged out through age 26.
Since the release of this report, Shteynberg has joined two new projects with Foster Advocates. The first project is a new survey looking at the COVID-19 impact and transition outcome data for youths and young adults who are aging out of foster care. In addition, Shteynberg will join a study that will identify and map “social service deserts” in the state of Minnesota.
Shteynberg plans to involve students in meaningful service-learning experiences as the partnership with Foster Advocates continues to develop.
“CSUSB faculty teach courses that include service components and conduct research with community partners,” said Podolske. “These valuable contributions of time and talent are critical resources for local nonprofit, school and government agencies to address community needs, advocate for equality and repair the civic fabric of our communities.”
Because of her efforts and contributions to an important report, Shteynberg was awarded the 2021 Do Good Volunteer Recognition Award by the Office of Community Engagement, which recognizes students, faculty, staff and administrators who continue to do good in the community, even in the face of uncertainty.
“We’re proud that the campus community is devoted to helping their communities, even during the pandemic”
Other faculty and staff standouts include Marina Kamel, administrative support assistant in the marketing department, whose COVID-19 volunteer efforts included collecting clothing, food, toiletries and hygienic items to distribute to low-income and vulnerable homeless community members; Andrea Okoh, human resources manager of the Santos Manuel Student Union, who sewed face masks for community members; and Becky Talyn, lecturer of biology, and Erik Melchiorre, professor of geology, who grew and distributed over $2,200 worth of vegetables to members of the community during the pandemic. Large quantities of fresh vegetables were donated to the Redlands Community Center and City Mission Food Bank.
“We’re proud that the campus community is devoted to helping their communities, even during the pandemic,” said Fowler. “We look forward to continuing to empower our students, faculty and staff to engage in their communities!”