More than 20 local nonprofits gathered in the University Student Union southwest terrace to recruit student volunteers and create awareness about social issues in Long Beach.
The event, This Is Your City, showcased nonprofit services and opportunities for students. Chris Soto, the USU programs assistant, coordinated the event in hopes of creating awareness among students of the nonprofits in Long Beach.
“There is an obvious disconnect between Cal State and the city of Long Beach,” Soto said. “The university looks inactive if the community outside the gates is being ignored.”
Soto is involved with a local nonprofit called Mentoring a Touch From Above, which inspired him to create the event.
The nonprofit works with incarcerated youth in juvenile detention centers and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Its goal is to provide education and support to prevent troubled juveniles from going into the justice division and help them to make good decisions to benefit their future.
The main goal of This Is Your City was to bring together local nonprofits to make social issues more visible and work with students to improve and enrich the lives of community members.
Other local nonprofits in attendance included Meals on Wheels, The Center of Long Beach, and Power 4 Youth.
Justin Naidas, a communications student and Pilipino American Coalition member, attended the event after a fellow PAC member suggested that he go and find a nonprofit he could relate to.
“I have a friend in an abusive relationship, so I found the Center for the Pacific Asian Family nonprofit relatable,” Naidas said.
The Center for the Pacific Asian Family provides free domestic violence and sexual assault services. Volunteers for the organization support women and children in shelters and provide counseling to victims.
Naidas is also a dog owner and animal lover, so he signed up for the Friends of Long Beach Animals organization.
Friends of Long Beach Animals promotes responsible pet ownership, education and humane treatment of all animals. The organization is hosting a pet walk, which Naidas plans to attend with his dog.
Students are able to mutually benefit from local nonprofits whether they live in Long Beach or not, and as a student everyone is part of the community, Soto said.
About 50 students attended the event between 12 and 2 p.m. The free pizza encouraged students to stop by in between classes.
“If one or two people commit themselves to working with a local active nonprofit, I consider this event a success,” Soto said.