On Nov. 12 California Lutheran University hosted an event to help Syrian refugees at Kingsmen Park. The United Food Truck event had numerous students help at their booths.

The event was hosted by the Community Service Center along with help from Lutheran World Relief. There was music, outdoor lights and food trucks.

“This is an event to raise awareness and resources for Syrian refugees,” Kimberlee Jensen, president of Lord of Life said.

Multiple groups including Lord of Life, Hillel, Campus Ministries, Center for Equality and Justice, Interfaith Allies and Community Services were involved in campaigning for the refugees and came together back in September to brainstorm about what they wanted to put on.

“Currently, over 7.6 million refugees have been displaced,” according to a poster displayed on the triangle board outside Starbucks.

“We might not be able to fly over [to] Syria and help, [but] we can still help them from home with simple acts like assembling school kits or making a blanket,” coordinator for community service Nicole Cozzi said.

Students who were interested in participating could  check in and receive an event passport along with a brief explanation of the event. The students had to walk around to each of the stations and participate in order to get a stamp on their passport.

There was a hygiene kit booth, where students wrapped bathroom supplies such as toothbrush and nail clippers in a towel for the Syrian refugees.

“We are manning the hygiene station and what we are doing is putting together hygiene kits for the Syrian refugees. It includes a towel, a set of nail clippers, three bars of soap, a brand new toothbrush and a comb,” senior Haley Ramos said. “These are supplies that someone would need for their day-to-day life. The supplies are wrapped up in the towel and then put into packages.”

Interfaith Allies of Cal Lutheran had put on a school kit drive for the Syrian refugees to gather notebooks, rulers, pencil sharpeners, scissors and pencils for the school supplies booth at this event.

Another station provided the opportunity for students to make fleece blankets that were knotted on the edges for the refugees.

Once the students were finished, they could turn-in their passport to get a white T-shirt and had the option to tie-dye it.

“Students have an opportunity to give back to the Syrian people who are going through a very hard time leaving their country,” Cozzi said. “This event is to encourage students to be a good global citizen.”

Sami Steele
Staff Writer
Published November 18th, 2015