In an effort to help those suffering from starvation, the Enactus Business Club, an international service club at Harding, started off the semester with “Enactus Hearts, Hands and Cans Food Drive.” With this food drive, Enactus hopes to collect 5,000 pounds of canned food for the Searcy community by April 2.
“Enactus stands for Entrepreneurs In Action,” Paula Morales, Enactus’ co-captain, said. “It is a group of students who want to lead in order to make a change in their community.”
“Enactus Hearts, Hands and Cans Food Drive” recently began with a hunger devotional on Feb. 6. However, that will not be the last opportunity for students to participate in the service and food drive.
“One of the events we will be having is an all-club competition called ‘The Hunger Games,'” senior Joseph McManus, Enactus’ project manager, said. “We are going to see which club can raise the most goods. The winner of that will be awarded at the Burksy’s and we are looking into getting a prize from a local company for them.”
Morales said they will also be having opportunities throughout the semester to give cans at different devotionals on campus. Students who are not in clubs or who cannot attend the devotionals are also encouraged to give cans on the collection days held on Mondays.
The food drive is Enactus’ largest current project, but they are also working on other projects as well. Dr. Rich Brown, sponsor of Enactus, said they will be working on a community garden that is in affiliation with the Downtown Church of Christ. Also, Enactus has been involved in the start up for Reclaimed, a program taking old T-shirts and gives them to underprivileged women who redesign and sew new T-shirts and dresses, which these women sell to support themselves. In addition, Enactus is also helping with People Against Human Trafficking.
Eight students from Enactus will present 13 projects in a regional competition based on their service projects throughout the year.
“This is a good organization for students to develop themselves,” Brown said. “Instead of just going to a meeting where you hear a speaker, you are working on actual projects and that gives an advantage.”
