One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is seeing our Aggies lend a helping hand around Davis. From assisting the city’s unhoused members to supporting food drives and being good stewards of our city’s land, giving back to the community is a hallmark of UC Davis.

LeShelle and I saw this up close on a recent morning. We met with members of Lambda Omicron Xi, a community service-oriented sorority, as they helped with weeding, harvesting and planting at Grace Garden on Anderson Rd. Some of this produce will be used to feed the hungry, with the experience also teaching lessons in environmental sustainability and the impact of volunteerism. You can view these scenes of camaraderie and care in my holiday video message, coming out next week.

This kind of service gets to the heart of who we are at UC Davis, both during the holidays and beyond. Along with providing a world-class education and making research discoveries that create a better world, we aim for our students to make positive change in their communities. Through public service, they build confidence, develop skills and learn how even simple acts can make a profound difference.

At the Yolo Food Bank, UC Davis student volunteers are busy packing and distributing food that will go to residents in need, including peers who face food security issues. The Yolo Food Bank supplies about 90% of the food distributed at The Pantry, an on-campus resource that provides basic needs for UC Davis students.

This is the third consecutive year that Yolo Food Bank has hosted the UC Davis College Corps, a program where student fellows serve over an academic year in the areas of K-12 education, food insecurity or climate action. In return, student fellows receive a living stipend while improving the community and gaining leadership skills. One success story is Andrea Aponte, the Yolo Food Bank’s volunteer engagement coordinator, who was hired after graduating from UC Davis and completing her College Corps service with them.

The UC Davis Pre-Med American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is also doing good work. In mid-November, some members volunteered at Thriving Pink, a non-profit supporting breast cancer survivors in Yolo County, by making crafts to cheer up patients. Just a few days later, these students collected cans of soup, beans and other non-perishable items at our Memorial Union for a winter food drive. They also volunteered at Grace Garden in October to help with landscaping and planting cover crops.

Other students are focused on supporting our local senior community. Members of UC Davis Alzheimer’s Buddies volunteer at senior living facilities around the city and form powerful bonds. They nurture friendships and write letters to the families of their buddies, all while building emotional intelligence, communication skills and a deep sense of humanity that’s very much needed in our world.

Some will spring into action during the upcoming tax season. Students in VITA at UC Davis is a non-profit group that trains students to provide free tax preparation for low-income residents, with locations at the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center and the Mary L. Stephens Davis Library. For students, this form of community service also provides an opportunity for professional development and the potential to become IRS-certified. Alumni from this program have since landed in successful careers at Morgan Stanley, Intel and PG&E.

UC Davis students also care for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, including unhoused individuals and their pets. Davis Pet Advocacy and Wellness is a satellite of the Mercer Clinic, a non-profit run by UC Davis veterinary students that provides free veterinary services to people experiencing homelessness in the city. Their services include vaccinations, medical exams and referrals for spaying and neutering.

Aggies are making a difference every day, both on campus, in our city and across the region.

I salute these students and all those in our community who are so driven to make a difference. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. ... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.”

Here’s to a new year full of camaraderie and lending a helping hand to those in need. Happy holidays to all.