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Hundreds Of College Students Work On Thomas Fire Relief Project As Part Of Start of School Program

In the hills above downtown Ventura, three young women are struggling to pull a huge weed-like bush out of the ground.

The women are part of an army of college students taking part in a unique community project.  The entire incoming group of new students at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, about 650 in all, is kicking off its new school year with a project to aid in recovery efforts from the deadly and destructive Thomas brush fire.

They’re removing weeds, spreading mulch, and picking up garbage in the Ventura Botanical Gardens, Serra Cross Park and Grant Park, as part of a Cal Lutheran program called "You Got Served."

Much of the work is focused on a beautiful plateau in the Ventura Botanical Gardens.  You can see all of Western Ventura County, plus some of the Channel Islands.  But, the Thomas Fire hit the area hard.  They are removing weeds, and spreading tons of mulch in the area, preparing it for upcoming witer rain.

In some other areas, they are removing hundreds of pounds of litter which previously been hidded by plants destroyed by the brush fire.

The students say it’s an unusual way to kick off the school year, but they feel good about helping make a difference.

Aside from the community service, being thrown together on a project like this gives the students a chance to get to know a number of their classmates.

The decade old “You’ve Got Served” project not only gives students to become a part of the university’s community service program, it creates a labor pool to do projects which might not otherwise take place because of cost. 

Cal Lutheran is the parent of KCLU Radio.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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