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Project H.O.P.E. (“Helping Other People Everywhere") is the Social Work Club at ��������Ƶ. While membership is open to any ��������Ƶ student, it is primarily composed of social work majors. The club’s vision, according to President Samantha “Sami” Pugner-Piper, is to “learn, bring hope and change the community around us.” 

In the fall of 2020, the club members decided to get students at ��������Ƶ to write personal thank you notes to custodial and maintenance staff members. The notes would be delivered to the employees in bags of candy. “I believe Sami, our president, came up with the idea to do this since COVID has affected them probably a lot more than others,” says club member and social work major Katelyn Greaves. 

“The bags were super simple to put together actually,” Katelyn says. “Sami and I lined up the candy on a table, along with Ziploc bags, pieces of paper, and the names of all of the maintenance and custodial workers. The people who attended, who were not strictly Project H.O.P.E. members, all picked specific people from the lists, wrote a personalized note, stuffed the bags with candy and the note, and then dropped them into a box for them to be distributed. It was very efficient and was able to be COVID-friendly.” 

Samantha delivered the bags and reported back that they were a big hit. 

“They absolutely loved them,” Katelyn says. “None of them were really expecting it, and, honestly, their jobs often go unnoticed, so they were all very appreciative.”

“I think the greatest thing I've learned from being a part of Project H.O.P.E is that even the smallest of good deeds or service do not go unnoticed,” Samantha says. “I have also learned that in order to make things happen, you have to work hard and fight whatever gets in your way with an open mind and a smile.”

English major Amy Long assisted with this story.