January 17, 2005 :: No. 112

Cal State Fullerton, in partnership with the California Service Corps - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's commission on service - is utilizing a $125,000 grant from the Corporation for National & Community Service to fund projects to continue the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, on the holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader, in the first of a series of efforts, CSUF student volunteers and their families are gleaning crops from the fields in Irvine's Incredible Edible Park for distribution to the needy in Orange County. This King Day of Service is being conducted in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Orange County and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Cal State Fullerton is the only university to receive the Corporation for National & Community Service grant and one of just four entities selected nationwide out of 75 applicants. The grant funds are being dispersed among a variety of groups for different programs designed to honor King. "The Corporation for National & Community Service provided us with the grant that would enable us to distribute funding to groups and institutions that are making a difference in their communities," said Jeannie Kim-Han, acting director of the university's Center for Internships and Service-Learning. "As a result, we have funded eight projects in Southern California and five projects in Northern California."

Grant monies are being used to provide funding for literacy projects, food shelters, volunteer centers and environmental groups.

At Cal State Fullerton, funds have been allocated to develop programs to educate students about community and global needs, as well as develop a curriculum focused on King's life and teachings.

This afternoon, in addition to picking crops, CSUF student volunteers organized by the university's Volunteer & Service Center will hear a speaker from the Second Harvest Food Bank discuss hunger in Orange County. This is the first of several programs designed to educate students about various needs in the community, as well as throughout the world.

The culminating event will be a student summit, scheduled for April 6 at Cal State Fullerton, where students will hear speakers discuss a range of topics, including civil rights, genocide, homelessness and racism. Students will be encouraged to become involved to address some of the issues presented.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to spread the mission of Martin Luther King, Jr., and we at Cal State Fullerton are happy to play a role," said Kim-Han.

Editor's Note : Today's gleaning effort is at Incredible Edible Park, 15058 Harvard Avenue, Irvine, 92612 through 2:30 p.m.

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