myCSUSM
North County Day of Service
We serve to honor the contributions of farmworkers to our society, and the Mexican and Filipino farmworkers who fought for workers’ rights among allies, and whose impacts extend beyond the Latinx community.
We are extremely fortunate to have received substantial support from North City for this event, which will help ensure we can continue offering it this year to our entire campus community.
See below for last year's outcomes, and here for previous year's information
This year, the event will be on Friday March 27th, 2026.
Free breakfast provided! Transportation provided to and from service sites (leaving from CSUSM)
United Farm Workers Documentary
To learn more about co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW), Dolores Huerta,
and about how Larry Itliong and other Filipino workers started the famous Grape Boycott,
watch the documentary "Dolores" which is available for stream through the CSUSM library.
Agenda
| Time | Details |
|---|---|
| 7:45 - 8:15 AM | Check in and Breakfast |
| 8:15 - 8:45 AM | Morning Program Including Keynote by Universidad Popular Co-Founder and Co-Director Arcela Nuñez-Alvarez |
| 8:45 - 9:00 AM | Bathroom Break, Group Photo and Load Buses |
| 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Group Volunteer activities |
| 12:00 PM – 12:15 PM | Site Clean Up and Debrief with snacks |
| 12:15 - 12:45 PM | Travel Back to Campus and Student Debrief Session by Peer Leaders |
| 12:45 - 1:00 PM | Arrive Back to Campus and Conclude Event |
Service Sites
On Campus
The CSUSM Milpa Project - Planting Hope at CSUSM
The CSUSM Milpa, launched last May under Dr. Erika Diaz Almeyda and Dr. Garzo-Montalvo, is more than a garden. Rooted in the Indigenous Mesoamerican practice of planting corn, beans, and squash, it serves as a space for research, cultural connection, and community-building. Sign up to help with a Spring garden maintenance day and help keep this garden going into the summer!
- Accessibility: Activity includes walking in an outdoor space.
- Recommended Attire - Closed toed shoes
San Marcos
Universidad Popular – Community Clean Up
We are convening youth and families from the City of San Marcos in neighborhoods around Autumn, Pico, Richmar, Mission, and San Marcos Blvd, the area around San Marcos Elementary School to participate in a Community Clean UP as we have done for the previous three years.
- Accessibility: Activity includes walking in an outdoor space.
- Recommended Attire - Closed toed shoes
TrueCare – Kits for Communities
TrueCare is one of the most trusted health care providers in San Diego and Riverside Counties. They specialize in providing quality health care and wellness services to underserved communities so people can get the care they need. Their goal is to make health care available to everyone in the communities they serve, regardless of income or insurance status. Sign up with TrueCare to help prepare UV sun and pesticide exposure safety kits and grocery bags for a local food distribution that will benefit farmworker communities in North County.
- Accessibility: This service opportunity is accessible for people who seek ADA Accommodations (people who use wheelchairs and/or may need to sit for periods of time).
- Recommended Attire - Closed toed shoes
Varied Location(s)
Produce Good - Team Glean with ProduceGood
Participants will glean from an orchard in order to provide the CSUSM food pantry or other entity with fresh citrus. All people have the right to access fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Accessibility: Will include strength and mobility activities including; using picker poles, moving bags filled with fruit, waling on uneven terrain. There are opportunities for ADA accommodating activities, however activity will take place on uneven grounds.
-
Recommended Attire - Closed toed shoes, Refillable water bottles, Sunscreen
Oceanside
Botanical Community Developments Initiative - Plant Stewardship Lab Day: Collective Work for the Commons that Sustains Our Work
We’re coming together to care for the shared infrastructure that supports farmworkers, youth, educators, and community-led land projects across our region. This day of service centers dignity of labor, mutual responsibility, and the unseen work that makes collective action possible. The Plant Lab is a community resource—a botanical maker of space and gear hub—that equips many programs beyond its walls. Stewarding this space is an act of solidarity.
What volunteers will do:
- Tool, Gear & Seed Stewardship.
- Space Care & Functionality.
- Wayfinding & Accessibility.
- Program & Seed Hub Preparation
- Accessibility - Project may require physical activity in an outdoor environment. Will have indoor opportunities that are ADA Accommodating.
- Recommended Attire - Closed toed shoes, Bring refillable water bottles, Brief safety orientation provided.
If you would like more information about this event, or need disability accommodations contact us at civicengagement@csusm.edu.
Pre-Event
The Hands that Feed Us
- Wednesday 3/18, 2026
- 4 - 6 pm
- Writing Center (ELB 2nd Floor)
From cultivation, processing, transportation, and every step in between, how often
do you think about the hands that feed you? Stop by for dinner and to learn about
where our food comes from, and who works to put it there.
Free tacos and dessert!
In case you missed it, review the powerpoint presentation with a compilation of all the information shared.
Event Co-Sponsors
