Humanics

Are you feeling helpless in the midst of this pandemic? Do you want to assist others, but you just don’t know how? Well, there are lots of community benefit organizations, or non-profits, that could use your help. They’re losing vital funding and human resources even as they are being asked to deliver more services. FM89’s News Director Alice Daniel spoke with Matthew Jendian, the director of the Humanics Program at Fresno State, to find out more about volunteering and giving opportunities.

It’s clear that some non-profits, also called community benefit organizations, can really change a place through advocacy and education. However, keeping those organizations going is often dependent on gifts, grants, and fundraising.

Fresno State’s Humanics Program teaches students about philanthropy, leadership and how to run a CBO. Yesterday was the annual Students4Giving presentation -- students awarded three $5,000 grants to CBOs in the Central Valley.

Thanksgiving can make us think about how to give back -- maybe it’s serving food at a homeless shelter or donating canned goods. But what about the rest of the year? I spoke with Don Simmons, a longtime community organizer and professor in the Humanics program at Fresno State about the prevailing needs in the Central Valley and how to get involved.  

Listen to the interview above to hear Simmons talk about the Humanics program, and how to find ways to better serve your own community. In his words, it can be as simple as taking a walk and talking to people.