Human Services Students Organize Events That Raise Nearly $5,000
Published 01.24.2012
Students in human services classes at Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted two events on campus in November that together raised $4,600 for local and international causes.
For the first time, students in the course Service Learning in Sociology organized a Gifts That Give Hope Fair. The event provided opportunities for holiday shoppers to purchase alternative gifts by sponsoring an item needed by one of eight local nonprofit organizations.
The fair raised about $1,300 and benefited the Center for Independent Living, Community Alliance for Progressive Positive Action, Family Promise, Favors Forward, Needlework Guild, North Central Sight Services, Shepherd of the Streets and the West House, all based in Williamsport.
At the same time, students in the course Community and Organizational Change hosted a Ten Thousand Villages Festival Sale, offering fair-trade handcrafted goods from around the world. Fair trade enables the artisans to earn a fair wage and provides opportunity for a higher quality of life. The sale raised about $3,300 for the working poor who crafted the items.
The events gave students firsthand experience in organizing events that both raise awareness of a need and help to provide resources to fulfill the need.
"We learned how to advocate for the community," said Christina L. Robidoux, of Williamsport, a student taking both courses. "We learned to do it the grass-roots way, so we were able to take pride in doing it all ourselves. We were more emotionally invested in it."
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