Charlie Kain-Williams, Univesity of San Francisco

Charlie is a graduating senior majoring in Business Administration and Innovative Entrepreneurship, and has served as an exemplary leader, student, and servant at University of San Francisco. He currently is an Advocate for Community Engagement through the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, and coordinates meaningful School of Management service-learning projects at his host community partner organization, Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. Charlie is deeply committed to serving aging San Francisco residents, and coordinates projects including personal home cleanings and disaster emergency kit deliveries to support senior clients of Meals on Wheels. He is an energetic leader and asset to University of San Francisco and the Meals on Wheels community, and continually inspires his peers to combat the marginalization of elderly San Francisco residents through service, companionship, and critical analysis of the needs of this population. We value his impact on the USF community, and commend Charlie for his commitment to social justice and advocacy for underserved elderly residents of San Francisco.  
-Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, President

The saying “It takes a village” has applied to my life in many ways and has given me a personal drive for collaboration and inclusion through community building. I have deepened my commitment and passion for serving diverse communities at the University of San Francisco by coordinating service-learning projects with Meals on Wheels. Interacting with Meals on Wheels’ clients has given me a more appreciative vision of aging. It has allowed me to see the dignity and humanity in this community and in each individual. Getting to know the organization and the clients has given me a better understanding of the impact of their many complex services on senior residents. Meeting the clients in their homes and forming relationships with them gives me an immense appreciation for the elders in my own life and for this community at large. It has been a privilege to support the service-learners’ growth in these transformative experiences to enhance the well-being and quality of life for our aging community members. The experiences I have gained as an Advocate For Community Engagement at USF will stay with me far beyond college, and I have been inspired by these experiences to live a life of service.
-Charlie Kain-Williams