Nonprofits from across the Santa Clarita Valley met with students at College of the Canyons on Tuesday at the Community Resource Fair to show how these organizations can help them navigate college life.
The event was held by COC’s Center for Civic and Community Engagement in collaboration with COC’s Golden Z Club, part of Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley.
Patty Robinson, faculty director of civic and community engagement at COC, said the event is the first time that nonprofits have gathered in this manner at the college in at least seven years.
“We’ve had nonprofits on campus, but nothing like an actual resource fair,” Robinson said. “So, my goal was to try and bring the good work of our nonprofits to our community here on campus to try and introduce (them) to students, as well as faculty and staff.”
Some of the organizations that had tables set up were the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative, Coco Moms, Relay for Life, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and the SCV Food Pantry, along with the Center for Civic and Community Engagement and Zonta Club of SCV.
Nicole Miller, president of Zonta Club of SCV, said the organization helps women at COC through the Golden Z Club, offering guidance and mentorship through their service and advocacy projects.
“We have our own projects that we do that our club does, and the Golden Z Club would participate or partner up with us on those projects, as well as if they have service projects that the Golden Z Club is doing,” Miller said. “We also support and mentor them through that to figure out how to do the project in the community and how to reach the organizations.”
The Veteran Services Collaborative booth was manned by Jeff Stabile, the organization’s director of business development. He said veterans or family members of veterans can use the organization to get medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and canes, and receive Veterans Association benefit counseling, along with other services.
“There’s a very good resource center here at the college,” Stabile said, “and we work a lot with them there, but we go beyond and we provide some services that may go a little bit beyond.”
The SCV Food Pantry was there on Tuesday to let students know that food should never be an obstacle. Lily Guzman, senior outreach coordinator, said that with a rise in homelessness in recent years, the organization’s importance in the community has become even greater.
“I think it’s important for students to utilize the pantry, especially how some students are facing homelessness,” Guzman said. “They live in their cars and a lot of people, they’re not aware that students are living in their cars or don’t really have a place to go, so it’s important for us to be here just to lend them a hand.”
Guzman added that with inflation making food prices higher, the pantry does not turn anyone away, so long as they show a valid proof of residency in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Robinson wasn’t sure how many people showed up during the two hours that the event was scheduled for, but she did notice that most of the booths were busy throughout. She is hopeful to have the event take place again in the fall, but with more nonprofits.
“This really shows that there’s an interest among the nonprofits,” Robinson said. “There’s an interest among people learning more about the work. We had such a great turnout. Some folks weren’t able to make it today, but they definitely said they were interested. So, if we do this again in the fall, the idea is to expand this and really get more people on board and have the same kind of event like we’re having today.”
