By Katlin Sweeney

Editor in Chief

When students take what they learn in the classroom and use it to better their community, the result is transformational education.

Last year, CSUSM’s Kinesiology Major’s Club teamed up with Kinesiology Service Learning Students, Donate Don’t Dump and North County Community Services Food Bank to change the North County area for the better. Over the span of 12 food distributions, the collaborative efforts of these groups resulted in the distribution of 36,000 pounds of food to students, staff and members of the community that needed it.

The Kinesiology Majors Club embraced reduction of student hunger as one of their biggest goals after their adviser, Professor Laura de Ghetaldi, got in contact with Donate Don’t Dump. De Ghetaldi learned about the organization at the San Diego Film Festival when she watched “One in Seven, the New Face of Hunger,” a documentary by UCLA freshman Camille Posard.

Inspiration ran in the family for Posard, spreading to Posard’s younger sister, high school sophomore Gabrielle, to create Donate Don’t Dump, which works with grocers and food companies to supply food to those in need rather than having it go to waste.

The Kinesiology Majors Club then teamed up with pastors Daniel and Theresa Jones of Summit Church to host the food distributions across from campus, a location that was not only convenient to students but all members of the community.

At each food distribution, anywhere from 10 to 20 students, some who are also interns with Donate Don’t Dump, volunteer their time to supply attendees with approximately 20 pounds of free fruits and vegetables. In one hour, anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of food are passed out.  

But the true spirit of teamwork and community is also demonstrated through the fact that distributing this food comes at absolutely no cost to the Kinesiology Club. The only cost that is required for the process to run smoothly is a total of $50 for the trucks to bring the food, a fee which Summit Church and Donate Don’t Dump split so that the distributions do not require the financial support of the Kinesiology Club.

“We’ve gotten tremendous support from various individuals, and people like our Club President Amy Clark, Vice President Ross Edmunds, last year’s Lead Intern Curtis Bovee and last year’s President Junemy Pantig all worked so hard to make these distributions happen. And our partnerships with the North County Food Bank, Donate Don’t Dump and all of the various groups involved have all just been great working relationships to help the community. It just shows how people can work together with that commonality of wanting to help others,” de Ghetaldi said.

This past year, the Kinesiology Club enjoyed honors such as the Office of Community Service Learning Award for Student Group of the Year, two nominations and five received individual student leadership awards, a Tukwut Organization of the Year nomination, recognition as an official ASI Club on campus and a total of 14,850 hours of internship hours completed by 162 students. In collaboration with Donate Don’t Dump, the Kinesiology Club also received President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award.

“I don’t know who gets more out of this, the people who need help or the ones giving the help. In a way, it’s a selfish thing to give back because it makes you feel good too. I’m just so proud of the whole thing and my students that volunteer. Every time we do this, it just all comes together. We are building community and I hope that this can serve as a prototype for other schools in the CSU system,” de Ghetaldi said.

Food distributions take place at 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month (except on holidays and during finals week) at Summit Christian Church, located across from campus next to the dorms.