Viking Clubs: The Social Work Student Association

The Social Work Student Association aims to empower people and fight social injustices.

The club, a Del Mar student organization that began in 2017, also provides students with opportunities to help others in the region. 

Gabby Gonzalez, president of the association, said students who want to join do not have to be a social work major, and she encourages any Del Mar students who may be interested to join. 

“This is a great learning opportunity for anyone interested in social work or learning about and partnering with local organizations,” Gonzalez said. 

Throughout each semester as the club meets each week they discuss local organizations they could fundraise for as well as partner with. 

Past partnerships have been with Salvation Army, where they raised funds and donated appliances such as a desktop computer, scanner and printer each semester. 

The group has also worked with other organizations, including the South Texas Colonias Initiative as they donated water delivered water for those with no access to clean water, and Haven for Hope where students are given the chance to visit and help a homeless community in San Antonio. 

Gonzalez said her favorite project has been writing advocacy letters to state representatives about abuse on women and men, children aging out of foster care, gun control and immigration. The project included going to Austin to turn in their letters as well as discussing the criteria of the letters. 

This semester the club plans on partnering with the Salvation Army again in hopes of bringing them printer paper, ink and winter jackets. They also plan to work with Grace House, a transformation home for women at risk, and will be offering help with resumes, job applications and mock interviews. 

“Overall, I am so grateful for this club and the learning experiences. I have met amazing people and have made lifelong friends,” Gonzalez said. 

If you are interested in joining the Social Work Student Association, the next meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 in Heritage Hall, Room 132. For more information on the click, visit their Facebook page @dmcsocialwork. 

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