THOUSAND OAKS : Cal Lutheran Students Sign Up to Aid Community Groups

Nearly 150 Cal Lutheran University students have signed up to aid community groups across Ventura County at a newly opened campus volunteer center, organizers said.

Students who run the University Volunteer Center said they were surprised at the number of students who showed up during the center’s first week in operation.

“The response has been great--we weren’t expecting so many people,” said student director Brenda Frafjord, one of the students who helped found the center.

Developed by a task force of students, faculty and administrators, the center will supply volunteers to community organizations countywide, Frafjord said. At the same time, student volunteers learn about leadership, social responsibility and issues facing communities, she said.

Students can sign up for ongoing and onetime projects throughout the county, including Habitat for Humanity, a nationwide program that builds affordable housing for needy people, and Project Understanding, a program in which volunteers serve food to the hungry, Frafjord said.

Besides supplying community groups with volunteers, the center provides students with a learning environment beyond the classroom, said Sally Schillaci, the university’s director of campus activities.

“Volunteering takes students out of the university and into reality,” Schillaci said. “It opens their eyes to what the communities need.”

Student Director Wayne Dominick said the center makes it easy for students to volunteer even if they usually don’t get involved in campus clubs.

“It’s not a major commitment; they can do it at their leisure,” Dominick said.

Students who visit the center are directed toward community groups that match their interests and are given information, pamphlets and contact numbers, Frafjord said.

“We’re not asking a lot from people, just whatever they can do,” she said.

While the center is currently providing volunteers to only 13 community groups, Schillaci said other other groups will be added to the list.

“We’ve already received a number of calls from other agencies interested in joining the center, but our funds are limited,” she said. “We hope to get a federal grant that will help us meet the demand.”

Community organizations who want to list their volunteer needs with the center may call 493-3680 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.