University Honors Program Makes Blankets for Stand Strong, San Luis Obispo's Women’s Shelter

Students in the Honors Program finished and donated 26 tie blankets to Stand Strong, the Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County at the end of fall quarter. A team of student assistants within the Honors Program helped coordinate the blanket-making drive as a community service opportunity within the first-year Honors experience.

Their efforts included acquiring the fabric, soliciting donations from local businesses, coordinating with Stand Strong and overseeing student efforts. In total, the team received $150 worth of in-kind donations from local businesses. During the fall, the first-year Honors experience served 62 students from all six colleges, as well as 13 learning assistants.

These students met during the final week of classes to cut and tie the fleece blankets. The activity was designed to address a specific Honors Program learning objective — that students should “demonstrate a strengthened sense of community, civic responsibility and philanthropy.” The program strives to provide its students with service learning opportunities, which helps in building community and developing leader skills. Activities such as the tie blanket drive help Honors students to understand what it means to be a stakeholder in our local community.  Learn more about Stand Strong at https://standstrongnow.org/.