Cal Poly Pomona Honors 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Through Day of Service
Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty, and staff honored the 25th anniversary of September 11 through service, coming together to support children and families in need as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Organized through the Center for Community Engagement, 17 students, faculty, and staff volunteered with Shoes That Fit, a Claremont-based nonprofit that provides new athletic shoes to children in need across the country. The experience gave members of the CPP community an opportunity to commemorate 9/11 by transforming remembrance into meaningful action.
The 9/11 National Day of Service encourages all to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, as well as the first responders, service members, and volunteers who responded in the days and years that followed. At Cal Poly Pomona, participants reflected on the significance of the anniversary while contributing their time to support others.
For Ripken Ely, a finance, real estate, and law and Kellogg Honors College student, this experience carried personal meaning.
“To me, a day of service on 9/11 means a lot because I have recently become a first responder and I think it is really important that we honor our first responders and be of service,” Ely said.
During the service project, CPP volunteers helped label and organize shoes, preparing them for distribution to schools and children served by Shoes That Fit. Their work helps the organization distribute shoes efficiently while minimizing disruption to students’ school days.
Animal science student, Alannah Shaw, said the service opportunity was a meaningful way to help others.
“Honoring 9/11 means a lot to me as it is important to give back through helping families in need and remembering those that we lost on that day,” Shaw said. “Through today’s day of service, we are helping families with Shoes That Fit by helping to organize shoes that will be donated.”
Shoes That Fit provides children with new, name-brand athletic shoes that fit properly, helping ensure students can participate comfortably and confidently in school and everyday activities.
“At Shoes That Fit, our goal is to provide new shoes to children in need across the country, but the impact goes beyond the shoes themselves,” said Kylee Paulson, manager of administration at Shoes That Fit. “We want children to feel like they matter and know that people in their community care about them. Every child is measured so they receive a pair of shoes that fits their current size and gives them room to grow”
Paulson emphasized that the work completed by CPP volunteers helps Shoes That Fit get resources into the hands of students more efficiently.
“Through Cal Poly Pomona’s service, volunteers helped label and organize shoes so they can be distributed more efficiently and with as little disruption to the school day as possible,” Paulson said. “We hear from our school partners that properly fitting shoes can improve students’ physical activity, confidence, classroom engagement, and interactions with their peers. It is a small act of service that can have a much larger impact on a child’s sense of belonging and well-being.”
By partnering with organizations such as Shoes That Fit, Cal Poly Pomona continues to create opportunities for Broncos to become engaged members of their communities and put the become by doing philosophy into action through service.
For more information on the Center for Community Engagement and learn more about upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit their website, follow them on Instagram, or contact them directly at cce@cpp.edu.