Personal financial success skills, marketing economics, entrepreneurship and business ethics: these are the four principles on which the Eastern University Students in Free Enterprise club is built upon.
Commonly known as SIFE, this club has been quite active this semester, and it seems that their momentum will not be slowing down anytime soon.
“We try to empower our targeted audience through the knowledge of free enterprise under these four criteria,” said senior Lisa Soares, president of SIFE.
SIFE is working together with the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children, a part of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church’s missions and outreach.
SIFE members plan to go to a school in the city, get to know the children, teach them to make crafts and have them sell the crafts for profit to benefit their school.
In this way, the children learn entrepreneurship and how to contribute to their own organization.
SIFE has held two major fundraisers this semester.
They sold hot cheesesteaks at Homecoming, an exclusive product among the various booths, and recently held a date auction.
“We did not plan to step on Habitat for Humanity’s foot, so to speak. That is why we did it this semester,” Soares said, addressing the concern that SIFE’s date auction would interfere with Habitat’s.
She added that SIFE’s auction might even help Habitat’s by having date auctions become more comfortable events on campus, so when Habitat has theirs in the spring, it will be even more profitable.
Another project in the works is the establishment of a small business center, run by club members.
Businesses in the area will be able to call on them for help, consulting, recruitment or networking with other businesses.
SIFE is also funding a food distribution for the homeless in Philadelphia.
“It’s all for a good cause,” Soares said.