Hesperia campus rolls up its sleeves for City’s Clean-Up Day
Thirty-seven SJVC students, staff, faculty and their friends joined almost 1,200 other conscientious residents on October 21st for the City of Victorville’s Community Clean-Up Day. This massive, twice-a-year effort invites local businesses, industries and residents to help clean up parcels of land littered with trash and discarded items.
The day before the event, 40 teams were each given supplies that included 50 trash bags, gloves, trash-pickers and a first aid kit. At 8 a.m. on clean-up day, teams were assigned their plots of land to clear of unsightly debris.
“Everybody showed up with a great attitude and really motivated,” says Doug Patch, Business Administration program instructor and Hesperia campus team organizer. He mentions that some of SJVC’s team energy may have come from the Krispy Kreme donuts he brought.
SJVC’s team was assigned a 15-acre parcel to clear that was near a residential area. Over almost three hours, the team removed 50 bags of trash, along with couches, mattresses, a washing machine, tires and car parts. “I was surprised at the items found in our area that is due to negligence,” says De Anna Jervis, Business Administration program student. “I don’t understand why people would be so careless with our community.”
Everyone who participated had strong feelings about the job they were there to do and took a lot of pride in preserving the aesthetics of their community’s landscape. “Everybody got dirty, everybody worked hard, and everybody had a sense of pride because we worked together to make our community a better place to live,” says Doug.
SJVC’s team was comprised of all career programs from each daypart. “It was a nice mix of students, and I had the chance to personally thank everybody for working,” says Doug. “I saw parents working with their children and saw only smiles; I saw students’ friends helping each other, and I heard only laughter. I saw staff and leaders hauling junk and trash, with no complaints.”
The family-oriented culture SJVC campuses embody made an easy transfer to that day’s task at hand.
“The highlight of this event was knowing that I was part of a team with my classmates that was going to make a difference in our community,” says De Anna. “There were cars that honked as they drove by, and I felt that they were clapping for us and thanking us; and that made me proud even more, that I was part of something so important.”
After the event, City of Victorville representative John Garcia sent a note of appreciation to Doug Patch. “I want to thank you and your team for your hard work. The area looks great, and I have received a compliment from a resident who was ecstatic that your group was out there.”
The compliment was appreciated, but Doug felt SJVC’s team benefitted from the experience, as well. “The students and staff showed their commitment to the Institutional Learning Outcomes by demonstrating citizenship while living the SJVC Core Value of Community Involvement. Is participating in something, being a part of a team, working towards a common goal fun? I would have to say that it usually is!”
Team spirit is a gift that keeps on giving.