For the 2024-25 academic year, California State University, Fresno reported a record 1.6 million hours of community service by its students, faculty, and staff. The university estimates this service had an economic impact of nearly $66.5 million.
The range of activities included student-led initiatives, faculty involvement in local health care outreach, and partnerships with community organizations.
Anthony Agueda, an agricultural business student at Fresno State who grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Stanislaus County, received the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. “Raised on his family’s third-generation dairy farm in Stanislaus County, Fresno State agricultural business student Anthony Agueda credits his immigrant grandparents for inspiring his passion for agriculture. Now, he’s a recipient of the prestigious CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, recognizing his academic excellence, community service and leadership. While completing his degree, he has actively contributed to the ag community through initiatives like hosting virtual farm tours and organizing milk drives to combat hunger. Agueda plans to use his degree to continue improving sustainability at his family’s Alberto Dairy, aiming for net-zero operations while carrying forward his family’s legacy.”
Support services were also provided by campus organizations such as the Student Health and Counseling Center. Nearly 200 parent-scholars and their families—totaling over 450 children—received school supplies through these efforts. Maria Arredondo said about her experience: “It’s her support system that helped her graduate as a parent first and student second.”
Blood donation campaigns continued on campus under the leadership of alumna Kayla Ferreira. “Inspired by watching her mother undergo years of blood transfusions, Fresno State alumna Kayla Ferreira turned a deeply personal experience into a lifelong mission to promote blood donation. Now a special projects coordinator at the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, Ferreira helps lead Fresno State’s campus blood drives in partnership with the Central California Blood Center. Her journey began as a volunteer in 2021, and after overcoming her own fears to donate, she now inspires others to do the same. Ferreira continues to grow the program, which hosts two blood drives a semester and collects hundreds of donations each drive.”
Kayla’s sister Kelsey Ferreira was recognized with the John D. Welty Award for Excellence in Community Service in 2024 along with a $2,500 scholarship for more than 1,300 hours of service work that increased campus blood donor turnout by about 50% per drive on average. “Kelsey Ferreira…was honored with the 2024 John D. Welty Award for Excellence in Community Service…With over 1,300 service hours…recruiting more than 180 campus ambassadors and boosting donations by an average of 50% per drive….Her service extends to environmental education through Fresno State’s College Corps and Climate Solutions team….Serving as the 2024-25 president and director of operations for the Richter Center Student Leadership Club…”
Medical outreach is another area where faculty are involved directly with local communities; Dr. Bryan Tune leads weekly teams providing free primary health care services on streets in Madera and Fresno counties alongside nurse practitioner students from Fresno State.
Fresno State’s Center for Community Voices launched a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program supporting 150 families with monthly stipends funded entirely by philanthropic partners; faculty members are researching outcomes while sharing participant stories publicly.
The Amendola Family Student Cupboard marked its tenth anniversary last fall after serving almost 30,000 students since opening in 2014; it has been visited nearly half a million times according to university figures. The celebration honored donors including Ermelinda Treviño whose contributions enabled additional programs such as diaper distribution that has reached over 10,000 families since its inception.
These activities reflect ongoing efforts by California State University, Fresno to engage both its campus population and broader regional communities through sustained public service programs.
