Business students help child in Burkina Fasso
FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Huntington, Ind. " Thanks to Huntington College business students, Ida, a young girl from Burkina Fasso, will receive funding through Compassion International. Sweet Satisfaction, the student-run vending machine company, began funding a child through Compassion earlier this year and plans to continue to fund her into the future. Students in Professor David McEowen's Managerial Decision-Making class, which operates the vending machines, began sponsoring a child in November.
"We were looking for things that had never been done before by other classes," senior Adam Davis said. "Professor McEowen encouraged us to look into investing in our business by 'thinking outside the box.'"
After some discussion, the class decided to try the Compassion sponsorship in spite of some challenges. The sponsorship would have to survive without classes meeting during Christmas, January-Term and the summer. In addition, Davis said selling snack food wasn't exactly a profitable business.
"We ultimately made this decision because we wanted to do something special with our money, Davis said. "As Christians, we felt that it was important to do something good with what God has blessed us with. From a marketing perspective, we hope to show people that we can do something besides just making money."
Now, the Compassion sponsorship is in its second semester. Seniors Josh Robb, Adrian Halverstadt and Brandon Huber are running Sweet Satisfaction as an internship.
Robb said the transition between semester classes was easy because this semester's group had been involved with the company before. Now the class is paying off loans and using extra income to support Ida. Robb said Compassion's monthly payment schedule fit with Sweet Satisfaction's budget. He also felt the project was worthwhile. "It's a good way to give extra money," he said.
Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, releasing them from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enabling them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. Founded by Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean war orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 655,000 children in more than 20 countries.
Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Following a decade of growth and development, Huntington College will become Huntington University in mid-2005. U.S.News & World Report ranks Huntington among the top comprehensive colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. Huntington is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and was named one of the 50 best Christian places to work by Christianity Today magazine.
