By Jacquie Russo
Staff Writer
A new student organization on campus called CAFS (child, adolescent and family studies) is focused on helping the children of families in need. Some families frequently struggle with finances for everyday items such as clothes and school supplies, while others are experiencing other hardships where they need extra help and encouragement.
CAFS club held its first meeting Oct. 8 in the Education Building room 125. Club members discussed ways they want to help out the community. Some suggestions included volunteering at the Bakersfield Homeless Center, Valley Achievement Center and the Boys and Girls Club. Through volunteering and fundraising efforts, CAFS goal is to serve these families in need.
The club is “for people in the major who want to reach out,” said CAFS president Amanda Saldivar-Ramsey, a senior and psychology major. For CAFS majors, the club will hopefully help members get involved in the community.
CAFS is not just for those who are majoring in child, adolescent and family studies, though, anyone wanting to help out the Bakersfield community is welcome to join. Yoselin Serrano, a sophomore business major said she would join even though it’s not her major.
Serrano thinks the club is beneficial to the campus because “it would make CSUB look good even if [students] are not involved [on-campus] they are [still] involved somewhere else.’
On Oct. 26 the Bakersfield Homeless Center is hosting a Halloween event for the families of the center and CAFS plans will host a cake walk booth. Also, the club is talking about doing a food drive in November. As a new club, CAFS has a lot of planning to do and many ideas.
CAFS is off to a great start with a 12 person turn out at their first meeting and they hope to further grow in membership. Senior, Rosa Gomez whose major is child, adolescent and family studies and is also a club member said “I hope it [CAFS club] stays.”
If you are interested in joining CAFS, attend their next meeting on Oct. 22 at 12:15 p.m. in Education Building room 125 where they meet every other Tuesday. For more information, follow them on Twitter @CSUBCAFSClub and/or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/csubcafs.club?fref=ts.
