Worldwide Day of Service

Civic engagement and community service have long been hallmarks of UC Santa Barbara Alumni. Now, to provide UCSB alumni worldwide with the opportunity to use their talents and skills to support and strengthen their communities —and to maximize the power of an alumni network more than 200,000 strong — UCSB Alumni is hosting its First Annual Day of Service Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. 

While Gauchos far and wide can find service projects in their respective areas, several initiatives are planned for Santa Barbara. In the wake of the Thomas Fire, the office of Alumni Affairs will volunteer with the Los Padres Forest Association, helping to perform trail work. Also on the docket are organized clean-ups of Santa Barbara beaches and parks, the San Marcos Foothills Preserve and Isla Vista streets; tree planting in the North Campus Open Space; and animal care at Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter. Details about how to participate, and about projects in Santa Barbara and in other communities, may be found on the UCSB Alum Day of Service registration page. 

“UCSB Alumni are motivated, inspiring and involved. We want to mobilize that enthusiasm for the power of good so we have created the UCSB Alumni Day of Service,” said Samantha Putnam, UCSB Alumni programs director. “We hope to foster the sense of pride in being a Gaucho, and that we are a community of passionate leaders that gives back. Our goal is to strengthen the bond between our alumni and their alma mater, while also enriching communities across California and the world.”

Alumni are encouraged to locate a need in their respective towns, but for those unsure how to get involved, UCSB Alumni has suggestions for projects in Santa Barbara, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Orange County, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and the United Kingdom. Day of Service T-shirts will be mailed to all registrants, while supplies last, to wear on Feb. 24.

“I think that getting involved, contributing what I can to help others and good causes, makes the world a better place,” said alumnus Andrew Ancel (’76), who plans to work with his church on a service project to support people in need in Haiti. 

Those unable to participate on Feb. 24 can still support the effort by donating to a food pantry, providing supplies to schools in areas of need, or giving monetarysupportto a cause such as the UCSB Alumni Gaucho for Life Fund, or to an organization of their choice. 

More information, about the UCSB Alumni Worldwide Day of Service is available at http://www.alumni.ucsb.edu/newsevents/day_of_service. Questions may be directed to Sophia Fischer at sophia.fischer@ucsb.edu or (805) 893-4077.