To alleviate the harsh reality of not having adequate nutrition or even the basic day-to-day sustainable resources in the lives of two of the most impoverished communities in the Dominican Republic, the Independent Nutrition Students from CSUN are raising money to fly across the country and provide assistance to hundreds of needy families.

The mission: to bring hope and encourage the two communities to live a healthy lifestyle despite of the severe circumstance.

Jenna Jackson, president of the Student Dietetic and Food Science Association at CSUN, said the group is determine to help as many people as they can.

“[We] are compassionate for individuals who have nothing. We all kinda realized how lucky we are to live in America and have all the things we have and we take it for granted without even knowing it,” said Jackson.

The group created a nutritional curriculum composed of four components aimed at  the low nutritional deficiency cycle that plague the citizens of the two communities.

Jackson said the four components consist of gardening, meal planning, hygiene/food safety and facilitating the community with the supplemental nutrients they need.

The group of 12 students is passionate and fearless about providing assistance; they hope you do the same by attending a flavorful fundraiser at El Torito Restaurant Thursday, June 30 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Visit the Independent Nutrition Students from CSUN Facebook page and print out the flyer and turn it in along with your bill.

El Torito Restaurant will give 25-percent of the proceeds.