Community Fellows

Did you know that you can earn recognition at graduation by completing community service hours during your time at Haas? Read more about the Haas Community Fellows Program below (and you can always find this information linked in the sidebar!):

Haas Community Fellows Program

As a public business school, we must convey the truth that the creation of opportunity is meaningless unless we share the opportunity with others and that adhering to any fundamental ethical standard is not a luxury.

~ Tom Campbell, Former Dean, Haas School of Business

Purpose

UC Berkeley is built upon and for the express purpose of serving the greater community. The Haas School of Business is in the unique position of offering a top-ranked program within a public university. Incorporating this inherent relationship between business education and community involvement, former Dean Tom Campbell, with the MBAA and the EWMBAA, launched the Haas Community Fellows Program in 2003.

The program was developed to maintain and enhance a long-time tradition of Haas students giving back to the communities in which they live and work. The program encourages students to engage in community issues by formally acknowledging those who do so, reinforcing Berkeley’s reputation as a public school that builds its foundation in and for the community. A Haas Community Fellow can take pride in the title, as it showcases a necessary aspect of successful business leadership.

Qualification and Application Process

Any EWMBA student who completes 50 hours of community service over their three years of education at Haas qualifies to be recognized as a Haas Community Fellow. Any student who intends to apply for the program should register with the Community Service Committee when their volunteer hours begin. Registered students should then keep track of their community service hours by filling in the Haas Community Fellows spreadsheet. Students are responsible to submit the final application and spreadsheet to the Community Service Committee. The required number of community service hours and the final application are to be completed by April 15^th of the graduating year.

Recognition

All Haas Community Fellows will be recognized in the commencement program. The student in each graduating class who performs the most volunteer hours will receive special recognition on stage during the graduation ceremony, along with a plaque honoring this achievement.

Classification of Community Service

• Students must receive no compensation for hours counted toward fellows status.

• Beneficiaries of students’ service must be classified as non-profit organizations under the 501c3 guidelines. In special cases, other nonprofit organizations (501c4, 501c8, etc.) may qualify with pre-approval.

• Time spent in service to Haas (committee service, club memberships, etc.) does not count toward volunteer time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I include volunteer work outside of Haas events?

YES! Students are encouraged to volunteer in whatever capacity is meaningful to them. Please record and report hours spent serving the community through any nonprofit organization that falls under the IRS 501c3 classification.

Do Berkeley Board Fellow hours count?

YES! As long as students receive no academic credit or compensation for board participation, service through any board, including the Berkeley Board Fellows program, is eligible.

What about nonprofit organizations that are not 501c3 classified?

Some organizations may be eligible even if they are not 501c3 classified. Examples include volunteer fire departments and fraternal organizations such as Elks Lodge. Volunteer hours with these organizations must be dedicated to charitable activities and must be pre-approved by the community service committee.

Who can participate in the Community Fellows Program?

The program is open to both the MBA and EWMBA students. Each program operates independently, but fellows will all be recognized at the joint program commencement ceremony. One student in each program will be recognized on stage for having the highest number of volunteer hours in their program and graduating year.

Can I include work in student organizations?

No. Serving in student government or organizations is part of the benefit of attending Haas. Service to the school is extremely valued, but does not emphasize the need for business leaders’ involvement in the greater community. Please do not include volunteer hours spent planning activities for Haas or attending club meetings or events.

On a sidenote: We are in the process of implementing an easier tracking system that will utilize the student directory interface. We're not quite there yet, so be sure to keep your hours for now, and we'll let you know as soon as it's up and running!

Upcoming Events!

Due to a few too many conflicts in the weeks leading up to holiday season, we'll be postponing the Haas Community Day until Spring. Be sure to keep your eye out for information about the cross-program initiative next semester!

We do, however, have two amazing events this weekend! These events are a collaboration between the Full-Time and EWMBA programs, with one in Alameda and one in SF. This is an excellent opportunity to meet some Full-Time classmates while doing something to help the community.

Keep in mind these also count toward the 50 hours of volunteering required to graduate as a Haas Community Fellow!

The Events:
(Both on Sunday, November 15)

Alameda Point Collaborative, Alameda (10am-1pm)
Volunteers will work with APC to help prepare rooms for the Thanksgiving brunch and in the Ploughshares Nursery preparing the demonstration garden.
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/VAOGRSQQFJHYUQVAEGCD/alamedapoint

Urban Sprouts, San Francisco (9am-noon)
We'll work on a school garden helping build a compost area, worm bin, and new garden bed. Make sure to wear long pants and closed toed shoes. They will have all the tools and supplies that you will need but bring your own water bottles!
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/MXTSHQKXAFFGKNXMGCBM/urbansprouts

The events are open to both programs, but there's a limit on volunteers, so sign up ASAP!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Haas Habitat for Humanity Day

What do you get when you mix a gorgeous Saturday day with an energetic group of motivated Haas students armed with power tools, hard-hats and a commitment to community? In this case you get a completed wall frame, weather-proofed house and a room finished with drywall. On Saturday August 3rd the Haas Community Service Committee successful participated in this school year's first Habitat for Humanity Event.

The site was a gorgeous hill side development in San Francisco’s Bayview district overlooking, well, the beautiful San Francisco bay. The day started early but everyone came wide eyed and excited. After registration and getting hold of the obligatory hard-hats, a stretching session, lead by a chartered Pilates coach, helped kick-off the event; there is really nothing better than a good stretch before getting started with manual labor.

After a brief rundown of the work scheduled for the day by site coordinator our fellow Haas students volunteered for the day's assignment. The work included framing the first wall of a new home, the weather-proofing of an already framed house and putting up dry wall in another. In total there were 5 homes under various states of completion.

After getting our instructions from habitat's leads everyone jumped right into work. For me, I volunteered for the work requiring the use of scaffolding which at first induced some vertigo especially with the realization that the floorboards are loose and tends to shift as you walk on them. It may not seem much till you realize you are reaching out over a three story drop to nail insulation onto the building exterior. In the end it all worked out and before long I was running around from floor to floor like it was a jungle gym.

At lunch time we were pleasantly surprising to be able to split lunch with another volunteer organization, Random Acts of Kindness that was also present. After consuming vast quantities of burgers, cookies and chips we all went back to the grind with full stomachs. And before we knew it the day was at an end and we were wrapping up.

After all the tools were put away and the day's dirt and grime was dusted off the group took a short trip to a local bar for a quick drink and celebration. Overall it was a fun and very satisfying event. Not only did we have a good start to the first Habitat for Humanity event, but we helped the families that bought those homes move in that much sooner. So stay tuned for the next scheduled event and we hope to see you there!

Los Altos Wine & Art Festival

Haas students had a great time volunteering at the Los Altos Wine & Art Festival! The festival, coordinated by the Los Altos downtown small business association, brings together local businesses and the community for a weekend of music, food, and great shopping.



Half of the Haas students manned the entry booth, checking IDs, applying wristbands, and selling glasses. We learned pretty quickly that both asking for ID and applying those sticky wristbands are acquired skills. Marissa and Catherine were getting pretty good at it by the end of the day!




The rest of the students worked the beer booth. This group was in the midst of the concerts, taking care of the bands and the thirsty dancing patrons. Needless to say, they had a lot of fun.







We all got to meet a few new people and enjoy the beautiful weather. We'll definitely be looking to do this type of event again in the future.

Summer Events

Hey everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your summers!

The Community Service Committee has some great events coming up, and we wanted to make sure you all knew about them.

VOLUNTEER:
July 12, Saturday
Los Altos Wine & Art Festival
12:15pm - 5pm

Help pour wine, beer, and margaritas for this celebration of small business in downtown Los Altos.

ALMOST FULL! We need 3 more people confirmed ASAP!
If you have signed up and can't make it, please let us know immediately, as they are counting on us to fill the booths.

Check the evite for details and registration:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/ZHQPHYGIRCJHWJYWZPJK/losaltos


VOLUNTEER:
August 1, Saturday
Habitat for Humanity Build
8:30am - 5pm

Help build homes in the Bayview District of San Francisco
We'll provide lunch!

We need to get a few more people to help us out on this one. Please sign up as soon as you can. This event has been a favorite of past participants. Let's show off our building skills! NO Experience Necessary!

Check the evite to register:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/TXJAWOIGLUFVZYDNOBFA/habitat


SOCIALIZE/PARTICIPATE:
August 15/16, Saturday/Sunday
San Francisco Relay For Life
10am Saturday - 10am Sunday

The Marcled Foundation has sponsored teams at this year's Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. These spaces are reserved for Haas students, alumni, and guests who are interested in participating. THIS IS NOT A RACE! The event is an all day/overnight fundraiser/celebration dedicated to cancer research. This event is FAMILY FRIENDLY, with lots of activities for kids. You can join the team even if you only want to attend a small portion of the event.

For more details, or to join the Haas team, visit:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddhfvn45_8ftph4mhs



IN THE FALL:

Watch for Community Day in October, a Blood Drive, and more Family-Oriented events.

Any questions? Visit the blog: http://haasewmbaa-communityservice.blogspot.com/

Clothing Drive Success!

Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the clothing drive. The Community Service Committee delivered over FIFTEEN bins of goods to BOSS on Friday. Incredible! BOSS Community Builder Janny Castillo told us it was one of the largest donations they'd received outside of the holiday season. If a bin holds $500 in donations (give or take, depending on the contents), we collected almost $8,000 for BOSS!

We barely had time to park our cars at the BOSS site in Berkeley before swarms of residents came out to help unload the donations. One tall guy immediately noticed a large pair of shoes I had donated and we compared shoe sizes. He was amazed to see a pair large enough for him, but shocked when he found they were from a girl! We bonded over our gigantic feet and scoured the piles for another pair. Everyone was so helpful and so happy to see us. The residents took control and moved and sorted donations to be distributed later. The residents actually do a lot of the work around the site, including sharing their skills in the kitchen and in classes for their peers. In fact, Janny herself was a resident 15 years ago, and several employees share that history.


We had the opportunity to tour the facility and learn a little more about the organization. BOSS hosts several community sites including emergency and transitional housing for homeless and disabled individuals and families. The site in Berkeley is a comprehensive home that offers loads of classes, a computer center, a library, a children's learning center, and a garden. As we walked through the site, we met residents and employees, and it wasn't always clear which was which. The entire time a man in a white t-shirt and a long gray ponytail was carting around supplies. Everytime we crossed paths he made sure to tell us about another opportunity for volunteering. He wasn't the only one! I don't think we passed a single person that didn't stop and thank us. I was actually kind of sad to leave, but drove off with a smile after I noticed that the guy from the beginning was already wearing his new shoes (that, and I was happy to be able to see out my rear window again!)

One of the things that surprised me was the sheer number of ways BOSS helps. They offer intake counseling for people looking for shelter, emergency housing to people to start in before moving through the program, transitional housing for people getting back on their feet, case management to help people accomplish their goals, preventative case management to keep low-income and disabled people from losing their homes or jobs, summer camp for the children to teach them sports, arts, music, and get them involved in productive activities, and all kinds of classes ranging from financial management to computer literacy to health and wellness.

There are so many opportunities to help! BOSS is always looking for people to mentor individuals and help them learn how to handle life and career skills. They also need people to teach classes, play with the kiddos, and help in all kinds of ways around the sites.

As future business leaders we have the power to give the individuals at BOSS the most valuable gift there is. We can educate them to become self-sufficient. As the saying goes, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The number of ways that we can help are countless. Are you a super accountant or a financial whiz? If so, you can teach individuals the basics of budgeting and simple financial planning so they don’t get bogged by credit debt. Are you a history buff? Teach the kiddos all about Lincoln and the civil war. Are you an artist at heart? You can offer piano classes or help with art projects. If you're an athlete, why not teach the kids basketball or soccer?

After visiting the site and meeting some of the residents, we couldn't resist finding a way to get involved. I'll be working with the kids over the summer - teaching basketball and doing art projects. Vikas is thinking about running some yoga classes - we'll definitely post embarrassing pics of him in downward dog!

If you'd like to learn more about ways you can get involved, email community service committee member Vikas Meka (vikas_meka at mba dot berkeley dot edu) about your interest.

Clothing Drive Update

The clothing drive has gone phenomenally well so far! Thank you all for your awesome contributions! We've got about 9 full bins worth of clothing and toiletries to donate, and the bins will be out until Friday. Let's see if we can hit 15!