I work with the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) at the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma State’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) as a VISTA. As part of the OCE, I go around the community to share what the City is currently implementing. Many times, that means holding community meetings where we open the floor to input from the community. In our efforts to reach all of Santa Rosa, we also provide language assistance at our meetings, which I believe allows trust to build in our community and aligns with our core values of communication, excellence, inclusion, innovation, integrity, teamwork, and transparency.
Related: Welcome Pam, Elizabeth, & Suzie!
When I’m not at the OCE, you will find me at the CCE, usually on Mondays. At the CCE, I help connect SSU students to organizations that are doing some great work to empower our communities and bring what they are learning in the classroom out into the community. Currently, I am partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Central Sonoma County, Recreation and Parks Neighborhood Services program, and Chop’s Teen Club. Each of these organizations helps provide a safe environment where youth can interact with each other and be involved in activities and receive academic support. They also provide programs where youth can find inspiration into future careers. To learn about the newest project I’ll be working on you can click the hyperlinked text to the Neighborfest program. There will be volunteer opportunities for Neighborfest where you can be a part of strengthening neighborhood resilience and cohesion.
Whether you want to mentor, provide academic support, or gain experience working with youth this is the opportunity for you. To get involved, you can reach me through email at Epesqueda@srcity.org or by phone at (707) 543-4624.
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It’s not often we get the opportunity to bring our classroom textbooks to life. By participating in a service-learning course you get the opportunity to do so by getting involved with local organizations that help foster growth and empower community members. If you have been fortunate enough to take on a service-learning course, you may have seen the other VISTAs and I presenting to your class the amazing volunteer opportunities we have to offer.