Tim Rausch
Three project management classes at the Hull College of Business collected items for the homeless as their spring semester project.
Roger Duke, lecturer of project management, delivered the donated items on Wed., May 5, to Compass for Hope, a nonprofit organization helping the CSRA homeless. In all, the students created 75 “Blessing Bags” of personal hygiene items. They also collected blankets, water bottles, book bags, and rolling suitcases.
“In our classes we study the many processes it takes to manage projects. However, there’s no better way to learn project management than to experience it. We chose to help local nonprofits by volunteering to lead projects supporting their missions. This approach provided the students opportunities to be project managers and make a positive impact in the community,” Duke said.
He was introduced to Compass for Hope by a colleague and created a community project for his project management classes.
According to Mike Garrison, director of Compass for Hope, the organization hands out more than 100 Blessing Bags and free clothing to the homeless on a weekly basis. Additionally, volunteers with the non-profit organization also assist with the Master’s Table Soup Kitchen on Fenwick Street in Augusta.
“Because of COVID, we have to do Blessing Bags. Pre-COVID, we laid out all of [the hygiene items] like a buffet, and the homeless could come by and get what they wanted,” Garrison explained.
The Hull College donation was unloaded into the organization’s North Augusta warehouse, where other donations from local businesses are stored. Garrison said companies like Bombas Socks also contribute to their cause.
During the fall semester, project management students collected more than 100 coats and gloves for Hope House, a residential substance abuse recovery and mental health facility for women.
