After this month’s rainstorm brought mudslides, flooding and property damage, the Cal Poly College Corps program offered a way for students to help clean up homes and businesses.
Residents of the Vista Court neighborhood in Los Osos received help after their homes were damaged by mudslides.
“It’s been a rewarding and humbling experience to see them roll up their sleeves and help their community members — including some who are elderly — by cleaning up mud and other debris that flooded their residences,” Allison Priola, the program manager for College Corps and AmeriCorps at Cal Poly, said in a news release. “It’s times like these when you see the best in others, and I’m proud of the way our students responded.”
On Jan. 22, students will also aid in storm response with the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden and the First Fruits Farm, including helping to fill holes in the Botanical Garden’s trails.
“They will make sure the water is draining in the direction that does not break down the trails,” said Cheryl Wakefield, the director of College Corps volunteers.
In their first year, the 175 students in the College Corps program have also collaborated with organizations such as the SLO Noor Clinic Foundation, Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO), Cal Poly Food Pantry, People’s Self-Help Housing and more.