AU Business Students Receive Second Consecutive Community Improvement Grant
The Anderson University Students in Free
Enterprise, or SIFE, team has been named one of 25 organizations nationwide to
receive the prestigious Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) Community Improvement Challenge grant. The
2011 honor marks the second consecutive award granted to the AU team.
The
grant was offered for the first time last year by the LCEF to nonprofit organizations
and public agencies in communities where Lowe’s operates stores and
distribution centers. The SIFE teams that receive the funding are awarded $2,000 grants for the structural improvement of community, educational,
municipal, or residential facilities or operations.
Following
the first grant awarded to Anderson last year, the AU SIFE team chose to assist
the Calvary Children’s Home in Anderson. During the economic recession, the
Children’s Home was forced to close its doors due to a lack of financial
support from the community. After visiting Calvary, the AU SIFE team chose to
assist them in the development of a new park for the children. To aid in the
cleanup and development of the new play area, they organized a cleaning and
information day, where they worked with volunteers from the community to
reestablish “The Park of Hope,” a clean and safe area for Calvary’s children.
Dr.
Bill Laing, one of the AU SIFE team’s faculty advisors and associate professor
of business at AU, commented on Anderson’s second consecutive Lowe’s grant: “It
was a tremendous honor to have received the Lowe’s Community Improvement Challenge grant last year; to be awarded it
again this year is an excellent opportunity for our students to further their
charitable work in the Anderson community. A special ‘thank-you’ should be
given to Mr. Greg Skipper at the Lowe’s of Anderson for his assistance in our
work with the Calvary Children’s Home of Anderson.”
Founded
in 1957, the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) has a long and
proud history of contributing to grassroots community projects. LCEF awards
millions annually to diverse organizations across the United States. The
mission of the LCEF is to improving the communities they serve through support
of public education, community improvement projects, and home safety
initiatives.
SIFE
is an international non-profit organization that works with leaders in business
and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in
their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible
business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university
campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve
the quality of life and standard of living.
Anderson University is a comprehensive university affiliated
with the South Carolina Baptist Convention offering bachelors and masters
degrees. Anderson is ranked in the Top Tier (top 21) of colleges and
universities in the South, and one of 68 “Up and
Coming” schools to watch in America,”
by U. S. News & World Report. It is the #1 “Up and Coming” school in The
South according to that publication.
Anderson has also been named one of “Americas 100 Best College Buys,” Located
in The Upstate region of South Carolina near the foothills of the Appalachians,
Anderson University features a rigorous education in a supportive Christian
environment.
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