Community Engagement and Service
Community Engagement and Service (CES), housed in the Hub for Spiritual Life, invites
students to engage in meaningful service opportunities that fit naturally into the
rhythms of their daily routines. CES encourages volunteers to view service not just
as an occasional activity, but as a meaningful spiritual practice—one that can deepen
understanding, foster connection, and bring greater purpose to everyday life. Through
regular service projects, long-term community partnerships, and special collaborative
events, participants explore how their time and talents can make a lasting impact.
Volunteering with CES offers a practical and enriching way to apply one’s knowledge,
skills, and passions in service to others. Our approach emphasizes humility and curiosity,
fostering genuine relationships and responsible community engagement.
Volunteers have the opportunity to work with a variety of local nonprofits, including organizations focused on healthcare, community support, and labor equity. Some of our partners include the Westminster Free Clinic, About My Father’s Business, the Malibu Community Assistance Resource Team, Hand in Hand Foundation, and the Malibu Community Labor Exchange.
CES also collaborates with student clubs, organizations, and other university groups to customize service projects that align with each group's mission, ensuring every experience is meaningful and relevant.
If you’d like to explore how service can play a meaningful role in your spiritual and academic journey, we warmly invite you to connect with us and get involved.
Contact Us
Director: Christin Shatzer Román, EdD, ext. 7757
Location: TCC 230
Ongoing Service Opportunities
Stay up to date with all upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Shemesh Farms Service Project
Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Shemesh Farms is an enterprise that is built upon a foundation of sustainability, inclusion, and interconnectedness. When you volunteer to help harvest, garden, and craft spice blends, honey, and other organic products, you help them hire more young adults with diverse abilities.
Join us for volunteer opportunities on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Space limited. Transportation provided.
Contact Karen Huynh at karen.huynh@pepperdine.edu for more information.
PATH Cooks Service Project
Path Cooks is a meaningful volunteer opportunity that brings warm, home-cooked meals to residents living in PATH’s interim housing facilities. With over $200,000 spent annually on food, every meal your group provides allows PATH to direct more resources toward housing and vital support services.
Join us every other Wednesday to make a direct impact—no prior volunteer experience is needed, and transportation from campus is provided. Contact Karen Huynh at karen.huynh@pepperdine.edu for more details.
Malibu C.A.R.T
Every Thursday from 8:30-11:30am
Malibu C.A.R.T. (Community Assistance Resource Team) is a group of people that serves our unhoused neighbors in Malibu by providing home-cooked meals for them on a weekly basis. Just 10 minutes away at Serra Retreat, Pepperdine students will be able to participate in cooking and preparing meals for 30 people on selected Tuesdays from 8:30-11:30, with an option to hand out lunches until noon. Fill out the sign up form or contact Karen Huynh at karen.huynh@pepperdine.edu for more information.
Hand in Hand
Monthly Activities
Hand in Hand is an inclusion program that connects people of all abilities in a socially
integrated program. They provide participants with disabilities an opportunity to
socialize with their peers without disabilities, learn new skills, and have fun. One
of the biggest challenges for people with disabilities is finding programs that provide
the support they need, while also providing opportunities to make friends and expand
their world in a safe and fun environment.
We will host monthly activities for the participants on Sunday afternoons. Contact Kaitlyn Burke at kaitlyn.burke@pepperdine.edu for more information.
Malibu Labor Exchange
Thursdays and Saturdays: 8 - 10 AM
The Malibu Labor Exchange is a nonprofit organization that links primarily Spanish speaking immigrants with local job opportunities. It also provides a safe and convenient place for people to wait for day jobs and connects members with prospective employers. Our job as volunteers is to engage with members of the community and give them a chance to practice their English with us.
Our presence is much appreciated by members of the Labor Exchange community and it is a great opportunity for students to practice their Spanish! Join us Thursday or Saturday mornings 8-10 AM or reach out to Jenny Fuentes at jenny.fuentes@pepperdine.edu for more information.
About My Father's Business
About My Father's Business is a local nonprofit that meets with and provides services and supplies to unhoused people in the San Fernando Valley. Pepperdine volunteers will be trained in conducting outreach with experienced volunteers on designated outreach days. Outreach and prep days will happen on select Saturdays and Sundays in the spring. Transportation will be provided! For more information, contact Karen Huynh at karen.huynh@pepperdine.edu.
Explore Recent Events
Step Forward Day Sept. 9th 2023
The Pepperdine community will serve together during the 35th annual Step Forward Day on Saturday, September 9th, 9am to 2pm! This event is about connecting with the community where we come together to serve our neighbors in Malibu and beyond. Step Forward Day showcases local, ongoing service opportunities that you can connect with even throughout the school year.
Transportation, a light breakfast, and lunch will be provided to participants. Spots are limited, so please sign up early via the registration form or contact jadyn.gaertner@pepperdine.edu for more information.
PS Science Service Squad
Saturdays: February 11, 2023 and March 11, 2023 9:30-11:30 AM
PS Science is a nonprofit organization that works with elementary schools in Los Angeles to provide weekly hands-on science instruction to children in underserved communities.
Join us in setting up science classrooms for children to learn and become more passionate about science! Transportation will be provided. Sign up or contact matthew.aizawa@pepperdine.edu for more information.
Project Serve 2023
Spring Break (February 26-March 4)
Save the date for Project Serve 2023! Join Community Engagement and Service for a three day alternative spring break at one of our local nonprofit partners.
Details and dates are still being finalized, but if you are interested in receiving more information, please fill out this form. For more information, contact maggie.bendle@pepperdine.edu
Baby2Baby Service Project
Select Thursdays, 2-6PM
Baby2Baby is a nonprofit organization and diaper bank providing children living in poverty
with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities.
Join us the following Thursday each week or as your schedule allows: 1/26, 2/23, 3/9,
3/16, 3/30 and 4/6. No previous volunteer experience is required, and transportation
will be provided from campus. Sign up or contact Stella Zhu at stella.zhu@pepperdine.edu to learn more.
Stock the Pantry at LA Regional Food Bank
April 1st 7:30 AM - 1 PM (Breakfast and snacks provided!)
Are you a Pepperdine International Student? If so, this project is for you! Join us to help provide LA's food-insecure community with food by volunteering at the country's second largest food bank. Volunteers will help in boxing, sorting and gleaning food that is later distributed through a network of more than 600 agency partners to neighbors in need. Spots are limited to the first 10 students to sign up! Transportation will be provided from Malibu's campus, along with breakfast and snacks! Contact Sharon Wakio at sharon.wakio@pepperdine.edu for more information.
The Painted Turtle
April 1st (All Day)
The Painted Turtle is a seriously fun camp for kids with serious medical conditions that provides children and their families the joy of camp at no charge. Pepperdine students will be serving at their Rheumatic Diseases Family Day on April 1, 2023 as Family and Activity Pals, creating the camp experience for campers and their families. Transportation will be provided. Complete the sign up form or contact maggie.bendle@pepperdine.edu or maddie.beadle@pepperdine.edu or more information! Note: volunteers must be 19 years of age or older to participate in this opportunity, and the deadline to sign up is March 13.
Disability Awareness Week 2023
Mark your calendars for Disability Awareness 2023! On the week of March 13th to March 17th there will be events open to all schools on the Malibu campus to learn about Disability and Allyship. We will be partnering with other on campus offices to bring you a variety of events. Here is a link to our events schedule!
From a live speaker to free ASL classes, there is so much to do and so much to learn! If you are interested in volunteering or being involved in any way please contact Maddie Beadle at maddie.beadle@pepperdine.edu.
Westminster Clinic
Every Tuesday, 4 -9 PM
Join us every Tuesday to serve families in Oxnard. The clinic is a non-profit community care center serving the working poor and uninsured of Ventura
County.
The clinic serves as a safety-net for those with no other affordable options and fills
gaps as needed. No previous experience or skills required to volunteer, but Spanish-speaking
volunteers and individuals interested in the healthcare field are welcome. Transportation
will be provided from campus. Join us each week or as your schedule allows! If you'd
like to learn more, please contact Charlie Markham at charlie.markham@pepperdine.edu. This is NOT an opportunity for Seaver 200 make up credit.
PATH Cooks Service Project
Select Thursdays, 4 - 8 PM
PATH Cooks is a volunteer program providing home-cooked meals to the residents living in PATH’s interim housing facilities. Join us on the following Thursdays: 10/6, 10/13, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 12/1, and 12/8. If you'd like to learn more, please contact Maddie Beadle at maddie.beadle@pepperdine.edu.
Baby2Baby Service Project
Select Mondays, 2-6PM
Baby2Baby is a nonprofit organization and diaper bank providing children living in poverty with diapers, clothing, and other basic necessities. Join us the following Mondays each week or as your schedule allows: 11/07, and 11/28. No previous volunteer experience is required, and transportation will be provided from campus. Sign up, or contact Maggie Bendle at maggie.bendle@pepperdine.edu to learn more.
Playhouse Build Blitz with Habitat for Humanity
7:00 AM -3:30PM, Saturday, Nov 5
Habitat for Humanity is an international nonprofit volunteer organization providing affordable housing and housing-related services for those who need them. Join us in building, painting, and decorating 25 playhouses that we will distribute to veteran/military families at the end of the day. Transportation, tools, and materials provided. Sign up or contact Nick Yi at nicholas.yi@pepperdine.edu to learn more.
Regenerative Farming with 5Journeys!
Saturdays: Nov 12, Dec 3, 9:30 AM to 1PM
Join us in restoring native plant life at 5Journeys Farm and other conservation efforts like cataloging plants and animals. Plan to dig, get dirty, work hard, and enjoy great greenspace not far from campus! Transportation and tools provided.
Sign-up for the November 12 session or contact Christin Shatzer Román at christin.shatzerroman@pepperdine.edu to learn more.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
November 14-18
November 14-18 is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Join us for a week-long event of learning about hunger and homelessness in our own hometowns, creating care kits for people in need, and advocating for greater protections for our neighbors with housing insecurity. Find us tabling at Joslyn Plaza and at Caruso School of Law. Contact Dacia Hannel for more information at dacia.hannel@pepperdine.edu. This is NOT an opportunity for Seaver 200 make up credit.
On Saturday, September 10, 2022, the Pepperdine University community celebrated the 34th annual Step Forward Day. The day connected students, faculty, staff, and alumni around the world to service opportunities within their communities. Volunteers had the opportunity to serve in one of 20 projects serving over 15 different community organizations. To learn more about how the Pepperdine community gave back, check out this article by the Pepperdine Newsroom!
Save a life by donating blood!
The Malibu Labor Exchange is a nonprofit organization that links primarily Spanish-speaking immigrants with local job opportunities. It also provides a safe and convenient place for people to wait for day jobs and connects members with prospective employers. Our job as volunteers is to engage with members of the community and give them a chance to practice their English with us. Our presence is much appreciated by members of the Labor Exchange community, and it is a great opportunity for students to practice their Spanish! Join us Thursday or Saturday mornings 8:30-10 AM. You can find the sign-up here. Please, reach out to Maria Fe Saito at maria.saito@pepperdine.edu for more information.
Disability Awareness Week
Community Engagement and Service supported and contributed actively to the week-long awareness event on Disability and the need for Accessibility, planned by Emily Mcnutt. The event provided a week-long advocacy and education opportunity for Pepperdine students, faculty, and staff.
Sanctuary Animal Farm
Stella Zhu (Yingfan Zhu) led a team of students on a project to serve the Sanctuary Farm in Santa Clarita. Sanctuary Animal Assisted Therapy is a nonprofit organization that rescues animals from abuse and neglect, rehabilitates them, and helps them trust and heal people in return. In this in-person volunteer opportunity, students helped with animal care, animal socialization, simple construction projects, and cleaning, as they enjoyed this fun day!
Hike for Haiti
In the rural community of Marre à Coiffe, Haiti, students and families climb the equivalent of 200 flights of stairs every day from the bottom of a mountain to access clean water, healthcare, and education. This event will be a mile walk to raise awareness and donations to support these families! Contact Katie Ross for more information.
Project Serve 2022
A three-day annual spring break event allowed Pepperdine students to engage in local volunteer opportunities. One group led by Wedu Ketema partnered with PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), an organization that is attempting to end homelessness for individuals and families by building affordable housing and providing supportive services throughout California. Another group led by Jesse Jacobs partnered with TASC (The Adult Skills Center), which provides innovative and proactive services that empower individuals with diverse intellectual, developmental, and mental health needs to achieve their highest level of independence and realize their greatest potential.
Manna Conejo Food Bank
Lauren Brajevich led a team of nine students on a project to serve the Manna Conejo Food Bank. In just one trip, the team of Pepperdine students sorted through 75 large crates of donations and organized ten bins of cans. Students left the project with a renewed sense of connection to community and heightened desire to give back to those in need right around them.
Bowls of Hope Event for Many Mansions
Many Mansions is headquartered in Ventura, and its mission is to help the formerly homeless population to get back on their feet whether it be through offering meals at their facility, providing tutoring services for children, giving people a place to stay during interim periods, or helping with interview practice. Lauren Brajevich led a team of Seaver College first year students to volunteer at the event. The group got to cover a variety of tasks including serving soup, bussing tables, replenishing food, being dessert waiters, and even just being a friendly face at the welcome area.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
January 24th through the 28th, Community Engagement in the Hub for Spiritual Life hosted Hunger and Homelessness Week. This week-long event gave students and faculty the opportunity to participate in daily activities where they gained insight into issues related to hunger and homelessness in LA County and beyond, as well as gave them tools and resources to be part of the change they want to see. The service project was held at the Joslyn Plaza as well as at the School of Law. The service projects involved interactive maps, trivia, assembly of care kits, advocacy workshop, and a food pantry.
Hollywood Food Pantry with APLA
As a part of the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Jesse Jacobs, a student representative for the Community Engagement and Service (CES) in The Hub for Spiritual Life, led a group of students to the APLA Food Warehouse in Hollywood, the largest HIV/AIDS relief warehouse in the United States. The service project was done in collaboration with the Housing and Resident Life (HRL). The students rode a shuttle to the location, where they received information about the organization, as well as instruction on how to process the food orders. There was a wet food pack, and a dry food pack time slot. Our students were working on the dry food pack. Overall, there were at least 144 food bags made in roughly 3.5 hours.
LA Family Housing
LA Family Housing is a transitional homeless shelter where families and individuals suffering from homelessness and poverty can receive the necessary resources and support to help find and maintain long-term housing. Chloe Edwards, a graduate assistant led a group of students to the service event where they spent time with the children currently living at the shelter playing games and doing crafts.
MLK Day 2022: The Great March on Washington Virtual Minecraft Tour (LA Works)
Community Engagement and Service in the Hub for Spiritual Life partnered with LA Works to host a virtual educational and community engagement project to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work. In this effort, LA Works, an organization promoting service and outreach events in the greater Los Angeles area, hosted a virtual tour of the Great March on Washington via Minecraft, a game where players can build their own 3D world one block at a time. Pepperdine student participants decided to build a replica of the Phillips Theme Tower from the Pepperdine Malibu campus to represent a commitment to faith and service.
Fly RISE
Student workers Jesse Jacobs and Chloe Edwards participated in the RISE event on behalf of Community Engagement and Service. When stopping by their table, students casted votes on different service opportunities that they were most passionate about participating in.
Food Oasis Virtual Food Drive
Jesse Jacobs, a student representative of Community Engagement and Service, coordinated a virtual food bank that consisted of contacting food banks, pantries, and hot meal programs open to the public. He and the other participating students contacted nine organizations and updated their contact information in the Food Oasis database.
Our Community LA
In partnership with Our Community LA, Community Engagement and Service hosted a virtual event designed to update the WIN (What I Need) app. The app is designed to provide essential resources to individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Participating students contacted and updated 21 websites for the app.
Step Forward Day
The 33rd annual university-wide day of service, Step Forward Day, was a success! Almost 350 student and employee volunteers served in 24 teams at 14 project sites. All projects benefited local nonprofit organizations. Volunteers packed over 300 lunches for the Midnight Mission, assembled 307 school supply kits for School on Wheels, and put together 400 hygiene kits for those experiencing homelessness. Additionally, Jumpstart received almost 300 bags of school supplies and the Midnight Mission received 272 hygiene kits.
PS Science Service Squad
Jesse Jacobs, a student representative of Community Engagement and Service, coordinated a service project with PS Science, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the improvement of elementary STEM education in Los Angeles county. Volunteers spent about 2 hours compiling craft bundles that would be used to create a lesson in the science class. One of our teams helped to build a basic structure of the eye, using materials such as glass beans, string, colored markers, and fuzzy sticks to create the exterior of the eye.