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Blake Franks/Staff Photographer
Rather than sleeping in on a Saturday morning, Sara Benavides wakes up at 6 a.m. every other weekend to help build homes for families in need. And while most students are enjoying lunch between classes, Jason Tamez is teaching practical English to Spanish speakers at the Malibu Labor Exchange. Benavides and Tamez are only two of the many students at Pepperdine who have responded to the Pepperdine pledge, which states that “knowledge calls ultimately for a life of service.”
According to Ashley Nolan, associate director of the Pepperdine Volunteer Center, PVC, 60 percent of the Pepperdine student body participated in some type of volunteer program last year.
Nolan said new opportunities are available for students this year.
“Students are becoming more and more involved in volunteering,” Nolan said.
This year, PVC has a few more additions to its already full plate of volunteer programs. The Step Up Program is a new volunteer program in which students volunteer as facilitators and mentors to teach employability skills to convicted youths at Camp Kilpatrick.
Another new program is the Midnight Mission program. Prior to this year, the PVC was involved with the Midnight Mission organization in small roles, but it has emerged this year as a full-fledged program to provide services to the homeless. Lastly, the Pepperdine Chapter of Habitat for Humanity will be funding and building a home in Oxnard as its special project.
Blake Franks/Staff Photographer
Some PVC programs, such as the Jumpstart program, focus on education and literacy. Jumpstart is geared toward preparing preschool children for school, and this year it boasts 105 corps members.
According to Lindsey Lockman, Jumpstart coordinator, the program works to prevent social problems that other programs are working to fix.
“It’s an empowering act for students to engage in the community,” Lockman said. “Students should find out what they’re passionate about and be creative in using their skills for needs in the community.”
Another education program available through the PVC is the Language Connection program, which is coordinated by Jason Tamez, a senior French major. This program allows students to teach English to a Spanish-speaking community at the Malibu Labor Exchange. Tamez said that it is important for students to step back from Pepperdine and see the need in the area.
“It makes my time more valuable,” he said. Tamez and the other student volunteers work on reading and speaking in English- focusing especially on pronunciation.
The Camp Kilpatrick program is another flourishing program at the PVC. Students volunteer at Camp Kilpatrick, a minimum-security juvenile detention center, to tutor and mentor young men between the ages of 12 to 17. According to Brianna Salinas, coordinator of the program, there are 14 volunteers each night including her. Salinas believes that volunteers learn a tremendous amount from volunteering at Camp Kilpatrick.
“Most of these young men are not used to having anyone committed or consistent in their lives, so they are amazed that we care about them and their success,” Salinas said.
Many of the PVC programs also fight problems such as homelessness and hunger. Benavides, a junior who volunteers with the Habitat for Humanity program, said that the highlight of the program is meeting the family whose house she helps to build. “There’s a lot more in giving than receiving,” she said.
Programs like L.A. Mission and the Urban Xperience volunteer to the community by preparing and serving meals to the homeless.
“A lot of these guys started out like us, some did go to college and had the same opportunities we did, but it only took one missed paycheck or house payment that put them on the street,” said Melia Smith, L.A. Mission coordinator.
Aileen Campbell, coordinator for the Urban Xperience program, added that one of the most rewarding aspects for her is meeting people who, despite their hardships, are genuinely thankful for the students’ service.
“God is in these people too,” Campbell said.
Submitted 10-05-2006
MALIBU, CA
