Rosalilia Gradilla

It was tons of fun to mingle with 3rd graders and show them what the University of La Verne has to offer!

Today, we learned about the importance of maintaining trees and plants native to Oakland. As a group, we removed poison ivy and planted berries, which was followed by a 2 mile hike.

Today, we got the opportunity to work with Planting Justice, a non profit grassroots organization that combats structural inequalities in industrialized food systems, provides health education & access to affordable quality organic food, implements environmental & sustainable practices & my favorite part, partners with San Quentin State Prison on a holistic re-entry program, which by the way has a 0% recidivism rate, that helps formerly incarcerated men transition into society with educational skills & tools, a living wage, comprehensive health benefits and more to get back on their feet.

Earlier today we volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul to feed the hungry. We had the opportunity to deeply engage in fellowship & listen to touching stories shared by individuals from various walks of life.

Today, University of La Verne students got the opportunity to work with Planting Justice, a non profit grassroots organization that combats structural inequalities in industrialized food systems, provides health education & access to affordable quality organic food, implements environmental & sustainable practices & my favorite part, partners with San Quentin State Prison on a holistic re-entry program, which by the way has a 0% recidivism rate, that helps formerly incarcerated men transition into society with educational skills & tools, a living wage, comprehensive health benefits and more to get back on their feet.

It was eye-opening to learn about the harsh reality of food insecurity. Today we worked alongside the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) in preparing approximately 8,000 meals that will be delivered today to children, adults & seniors in the county. Oakland is one of the most expensive cities to live in, yet the ACCFB serves 1 in 5 Alameda residents. Food insecurity is an epidemic that ACCFB plans to end by 2018.

An amazing colleague of mine at the University organized #joyfulmailproject, which was an event about putting together joyful mail to be delivered to women and children who are battling cancer and to single mothers in need. I got to decorate and stuff packages with items, such as beanies, candy, nail polish, holiday CD, and more. I hope the women and children who receive these gifts feel the love!

I volunteered as a server at Cafe Gratitude on Thanksgiving. As a server volunteer, I served free vegan meals to anyone who wished to eat at the restaurant. Although all meals were free of charge, the restaurant encouraged customers to leave a donation if they wanted. All donated proceeds from the free Thanksgiving meal went to Standing Rock and an employee at the restaurant's Venice location who is in need of medical support financially. It was a great experience and wonderful to see so many people come together for such great causes. In total, we served approximately 800 meals and collected $5,000.00 in donations. I look forward to volunteering again in the future.

It was so much fun and an honor to welcome 380 Serrano middle school students. The students enjoyed learning about the University, taking campus tours, and hearing from first-generation student panelists. I personally enjoyed helping a student, who unfortunately was in crutches, but I got to give him a personal tour of the campus.

I had an amazing experience! It is also a great feeling to welcome the community to educational events such as LEAD. This is a family event that speaks volumes about the University's commitment to civic and community engagement. I look forward to next year's LEAD Conference!