CSU Bakersfield students united on Feb. 26 to make CSUB a greener place while at the same time bringing awareness to students with disabilities on campus. Plant for Purpose is an event put together by Ariana Fregoso, a graduate student leader in the Services for Students with Disabilities office. Her goal is to have an inclusive place for students to get to know each other and enjoy doing something together. 

  “I wanted to have an event that people with and without disabilities could come together and feel important and empowered,” Fregoso said. 

  “I think this is fantastic, especially if there are accommodations for students with disabilities, it seems like a valuable skill that everyone can learn,” Joshua Boyer, a senior biology major who volunteered at the event said.   

  Students planted a variety of vegetables together. When the vegetables get ripe, they go to the CSUB Food Pantry, where all students can collect food that has been grown in the garden. The pantry is located on the north side of the Student Union. 

  “I really want this to be an inclusive space. I think gardens are supposed to be a community space. Pairing with SSD is a really good way for us to figure out what we need to do to be able to become more inclusive,” Bridget Thorpe, coordinator for the Edible Garden said. 

  Thorpe said that they have added decomposed granite to make the garden wheelchair accessible. She expressed that students feeding other students is one of the important goals of the Edible Garden. 

  Fregoso plans to have a Plant for Purpose event once a month during garden hours on Wednesdays. Students who would like to volunteer and need accommodations or support are encouraged to contact the SSD office at 661-654-3360 so the office can make appropriate arrangements.