Bonner Fundraiser

The Bonner program at Concord University organized a fundraiser to help people affected by Hurricane Florence.

Sarah Fancher, Bonner graduate assistant, states, “The project was to help flood victims through packing buckets for UMCOR [United Methodist Committee and Relief]. They have a specific list of items that go in the bucket that are mostly cleaning products that they take down and deliver to flood victims to assist with cleanup.”

According to UMCOR. org, the cleaning kit is valued at around $75. The buckets include: a 5-gallon bucket with a lid, one bottle of laundry detergent, one bottle of liquid concentrate household cleaner, one bottle of dish soap, one bottle of air freshener, one scrub brush, 18 cleaning cloths, five sponges, around 50 clothespins, a 24-roll of heavy duty trash bags, five respirator dust masks, two pairs of kitchen gloves, and one pair of work gloves.

Bonner students and faculty led the program while University 100 students helped out by making signs, sitting at the table in the Student Center, and having their classes sponsor a bucket. Also, many professors donated complete buckets to help with the fundraiser. Along with the supplies donated, around $50 in monetary donations was collected in the Student Center.

Peyton Brown, Bonner communications intern, helped put the project together. She describes her part in the project by stating, “I was responsible for approving it with student activities and helping to encourage Bonners to sign up to sit at the table through emails and other promotional items.”

She goes on to explain the process of the fundraiser. She says, “We set up a table in the Student Center to collect UMCOR specified supplies to go in the buckets as well as monetary donations. Kathy Ball, the Bonner Director, was ultimately in charge but the Bonner Graduate Assistant, Sarah Fancher, also helped to spearhead the effort.”

Members of the Bonner Love Committee, a group of students who plan social and community involvement events, spent time putting the event together in order to have a successful fundraiser.

One Bonner student who helped out was Gavin Brandenburg. Along with his Bonner participation, Brandenburg is the assistant at the New Vision Depot. His position at the Depot allowed him to implement the completion of filling the natural disaster cleaning kits.

Brandenburg states, “The buckets will be taken to the West Virginia Annuals Conference of the United Methodists Church`s New Vision Depot in Beaver, West Virginia. There, Pastors Sue and Dan Lowther are in charge of organizing, processing, and distributing resources that help those affected by natural disasters.”

The website also explains, “These supplies enable people to begin the overwhelming job of cleaning up after a flood or hurricane.”

Fancher, Brown, and Brandenburg all feel like the fundraiser was a huge success for the Bonner program and UMCOR. Fancher states, “Overall, it was an enjoyable project to work on, and it was for such a good cause. I am sure all of these buckets will make a difference for people who may have lost everything. I am very thankful to everyone who donated.”

Brown believes projects like these will benefit Bonner students and help them gain service experience. She says, “Bonner is constantly doing projects like this one. Bonner students who aren’t in leadership positions can benefit from these projects by gaining valuable service experience. Those who are in leadership positions can gain professional development as well as a deepening understanding for what service really means.”

Brandenburg believes this project not only helped flood victims and the Bonner program, but it also brought a new light to the community. He believes that people can do projects at a local level to aid the county and the world. He states, “I think that this project brought a new perspective of the types of community service people can provide locally to help globally.”

This was the first buckets fundraiser the Bonner program held, but it will surely not be the last. Fancher explains that whenever the Bonner program can help out in times of need, it will definitely do anything to help. She says, “If a need or calling arises, I am sure we would not be opposed to do it again.”