Transforming Lives

Nepal, 2001: Jeffrey A. Kottler saves two girls from being sold into sex slavery. Today, this professor of counseling is helping 80 girls with a nonprofit program that provides scholarships for school, along with food, shelter and clothes. The first two girls now are starting college.

Knitting Against the Cold

Blankets of Love, a group of about 35 Cal State Fullerton volunteers, gathers every Thursday, needles, hooks and yarn at the ready, to bring warmth to residents of a children's home in Orange County, soldiers and children in Iraq, prisoners in Colorado and homeless veterans in Riverside.

Supporting Hygiene to Serve the Community

Health science majors are collecting hygiene supplies for abused, neglected and troubled children and learning about community service by doing.

Combating Hunger and Homelessness

The university's Vounteer and Service Center is sponsoring a week-long program to increase student efforts and advocacy to combat hunger and assist the homeless.

Presidential Accolades

Last year, Cal State Fullerton students performed more than 715,000 hours of community service benefiting children, homeless individuals, the elderly and others in need. For that achievement, the university was named to the 2007 U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction.

Borderless Compassion

“There are children starving and dying in large numbers just 100 miles south of us, not to mention the countless other problems immediately surrounding us. Helping to fix these problems doesn’t require a lifetime of devotion, or a heart of gold, you’ve just got to get up and do it.” -- James McKenney, psychology major

Shining Moment

Cal State Fullerton’s Project SHINE, which has helped thousands of local immigrants learn English, was honored with the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Spirit of Volunteerism

For outstanding work fighting hunger and homelessness in Orange County, Amy Mattern, coordinator of Cal State Fullerton's Volunteer & Service Center, is the recipient of a 2008 Spirit of Volunteerism Award.