Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — Ever since he returned from Iraq, everyday occurrences such as a car changing lanes or an unattended bag can trigger U.S. Army veteran Daniel Cook’s post-traumatic stress response.
But when he’s with his dog, a Heeler mix named Theodore Roosevelt, Cook’s anxiety subsides and he is able to focus on his studies at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI).
Thanks to a $220,000 donation from the Dr. Richard Grossman Community Foundation, other CSUCI student veterans with emotional or physical challenges will also have a chance to get a service dog. The CSUCI Veterans Affairs Program will receive $150,000 to benefit various services and programs offered to student veterans, as well as $50,000 for a service dog program for veterans with post-traumatic stress.
The remaining $20,000 will go towards procuring two campus therapy dogs for students. The dogs will be obtained through San Luis Obispo-based service dog training facility New Life K-9s.
“Our Foundation has been looking for ways to support our local veteran community for several years,” said Elizabeth Grossman. “The Veterans Affairs effort at CSUCI is the perfect match. Our late board member, Lane Weitzman was a veteran, and Dr. Grossman served in the Naval Reserve. Supporting veterans through education is something that resonates with us.”
The campus therapy dogs will be named “Doc” for A. Richard Grossman, M.D., and “Lon” for Lon Morton, who served on both the CSUCI Foundation Board and the Grossman Community Foundation Board.
Budget permitting, there are also plans for a third dog who will be named “Lane” for Lane Weitzman, also a former member of the Dr. Richard Grossman Community Foundation Board.
The Dr. Richard Grossman Community Foundation was founded in 2013 to serve local communities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Dr. Grossman was a renowned reconstructive and plastic surgeon who pioneered the comprehensive care of burn patients in Sherman Oaks where he established the Grossman Burn Center, the largest private burn treatment center.
“We are deeply grateful to the Grossman Community Foundation for this generous gift,” said CSUCI President Erika D. Beck, Ph.D. “The funds will help our student veterans tremendously as they transition and engage with the campus community and work toward attaining their educational goals.”
CSUCI’s Assistant Director for Veterans Affairs Program, Jay Derrico, said everyone at the center is excited about what will now be possible with the donation.
“We have continuing programs at Veterans Affairs,” Derrico said. “Our biggest is internships in which we help pay salaries for student veterans to work in their field of interest. We have other major programs like our Student Veteran Medallion Ceremony at the end of the year.”
Derrico said the donation will also allow the center to create other programs, such as a summit for women veterans.
Details are still being worked out, but Derrico said the K-9 portion of the donation will enable the center to pair five or six veterans with service dogs.
It costs about $10,000 for each individual dog to be trained to help a veteran with a physical or psychological need, Derrico said.
Theodore Roosevelt has been a source of love and pure acceptance for Cook, who plans to graduate in May with a degree in Environmental Science & Resource Management.
“A dog has no expectations of you,” Cook said. “Coming from the military where there is constantly a standard to uphold, you have to be aware and alert. Dogs don’t care if your shirt’s dirty or your hair’s messed up. They love you.”
Elizabeth Rice Grossman said she hopes her gift inspires others to also give to CSUCI.
“Dr. Grossman felt strongly that education was the great equalizer, and with this gift, we hope to give back to a community that gives us all so much,” she said.
To learn more about the CSUCI Veterans Affairs Program, visit: https://www.csuci.edu/veterans/.
For more information on New Life K9s, visit: www.newlifek9s.org.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) 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. CSUCI’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. CSUCI 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 CSUCI’s Social Media.