This Spring Break Cal State Bakersfield students are giving back to the community, cleaning up, painting and reorganizing the Adelante Vista Community Center in Bakersfield.
CSUBAlternative Spring Break
Posted by Cassie Carlisle 23ABC on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Students say they are thankful for the opportunity to make an impact on the community and would much rather be at the center working, than lying on a beach somewhere in traditional Spring Break fashion.
"I mean Mexico will be around, and you know Cabo is going to be around too. After every single meeting I was like I'm so excited, I'm so excited guys," President of Sensational Sophomores Olly Lopez said. Lopez said it took about 6 months of planning to get to this point where they're actually working on the center.
Sensational Sophomores is a leadership program at CSUB that invites students with a 3.0 or higher to get involved in on campus activities and volunteer in the community. The group is in it's 3rd year, according to CSU Bakersfield Magazine.
The project at Adelante Vista Community Center is part of Alternative Spring Break, a nationwide program that encourages students to volunteer in their communities during their vacation.
These students are not getting much of a break. Many are working at the center between sports practice, and other obligations.
"I had track practice this morning, and then I have a track dinner right as soon as this is over so I mean, we just have to make some time and put everything around it because this is a really awesome opportunity to be involved in," Sensational Sophomore Treasurer Susannah Vera said.
On Monday the dozen or so students cleaned the buildings and pulled out most of the contents so they could roll on a fresh coat of paint. Then they taped and painted walls, book shelves, and kitchen cabinets. Today they are washing and cleaning dishes and other kitchen utensils and finishing up painting.
The students say they are excited to see what it looks like on Friday and know they are making a difference.
The Adelante Community Center, is supported by the Housing Authority, that provides safe affordable housing to 15,000 low income Kern County residents and partners with other local agencies to help residents become self-sufficient.
