This fall, University 100 students decided to go big with their community service project and help victims of Harvey and Irma hurricanes.
Graci Hodges, a student in the class who came up with the idea, said that she saw how bad the hurricanes affected people in Florida and Texas. Hodges called Red Cross and Salvation Army to see what the needs were, and both told her not to send food or clothing, because they needed money the most, explained Dr. Sarah Beasley, director of retention and the instructor for the University 100 class, how the project shaped.
“It was the first experience I had with a class doing such a big project,” said Beasley. “I think it is great that when students saw such a need and such devastation in other parts of the country, they stepped up and decided to do something about it.”
Throughout the week of Sept. 25-29, the students were selling raffle tickets and hosting a bake sale with a drawing held every day for one of the gift cards. On Sept. 27, Concord hosted funk band “The Change” from Princeton who agreed to help Concord students to raise money for the cause. The attendance of the concert was free, but donations were accepted and the bake sale was on. On Saturday, Sept. 30, students raffled off the basket full of candies and Concord appeal donated by Andrew Sulgit, student center director and student activities coordinator.
“School’s official motto is ‘Come to learn, go to serve’ and I think doing service projects, whether within the community or on the national scale, I think that is a kind of what the institution is about,” says Sulgit. “Whether it is big, whether it is small, whether it is in Princeton or whether it is in Florida or Texas, I think anything we can do that helps out even a little bit, is important for the mission of the school and for its students.”
Within a week, the class raised about $500, says Beasley.
“We got a great amount of support from everyone at Concord,” says Hodges. “The most rewarding thing to see is people come together and help out those in need. Knowing the money is going to a good cause warms my heart.”
Sulgit thinks it was a great project for students, especially considering the fact that they are freshmen and new to Concord. “We might not raise $10,000, but whatever we give is gonna be of benefit,” Sulgit says.