Street Store

Camarillo, Calif., Nov. 5, 2015 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) senior Jessica McGinty understands that accepting charity can be difficult for any human being, especially considering the stigma that can exist toward the homeless population.

“We sometimes associate people in poverty with negative stereotypes,” McGinty said. “A lot of these people are mentally ill or just down on their luck. Just because someone is in need doesn’t mean they’re not capable human beings or they’re not trying.”

In order to open up a conversation about homelessness, poverty and dignity, and to help a population in need, McGinty and five other Communication majors are hosting “The Street Store” in Oxnard on Wed., Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 840 South G Street in Oxnard.

The pop-up clothing store will allow anyone in need to “shop” for any shoes, clothing or outerwear they needed with help from volunteer “salespeople.” Shoppers will be able to try clothes in screened-off dressing rooms for privacy. The shoppers will not be charged for any clothing they select.

“We’re getting people to donate clothing and shoes that we will display on event day,” McGinty said. “We will set up a store where the homeless or anybody in need can come and ‘shop’ in a dignified way without having to dig through trash cans or beg or go without.”

The “Street Store” is a local take on a worldwide non-profit effort that began in South Africa in January 2014 and has since snowballed to locations around the world.

Street Store

CI’s Center for Community Engagement Managing Director Pilar Pacheco read about The Street Store and pitched it to Assistant Professor of Communication Nancy Chen’s Health Communication class.

“I thought it would be a great service-learning project that would allow students to deepen their understanding of a community issue. Pacheco said. “This is an opportunity for students to apply their in-class learning to making a meaningful difference in the community.”

The students are working closely with Bishop Broderick Huggins of St. Paul Baptist Church in Oxnard. The church is often involved in helping many who are living in poverty in South Oxnard. The students will set up The Street Store just outside St. Paul’s annex, which is called the B. A. Huggins Community Outreach Center.

Since mid-October, McGinty and her fellow volunteers have been collecting clothing and shoes for shoppers who could number in the hundreds. Members of St. Paul’s will also be on hand to help and CI Nursing students will be available at the free community health center they built last year out of a discarded trailer.

There is an elementary school nearby where the children of many of the working poor go to school, so the Communication students plan to set up a children’s area where they will have activities such as face-painting to entertain them.

If you would like to donate clothing or shoes, you may take your donations to the lobby of Ojai Hall on the CI campus at One University Drive or email McGinty at jessica.mcginty871@myci.csuci.edu.

 “There’s an unmet need there, especially in the park across the street where the homeless have congregated,” Pacheco said. “It would be wonderful if this service-learning project became sustainable and happened more than once a year.”

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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands
(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.

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