Union’s new club, the Exchange Club, is a partnership with the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse and encourages students to help raise awareness for this worthy cause.
There are seemingly endless choices of clubs and opportunities on campus for students to get involved, and the Exchange Club is something that students might not have heard of before. It is, however, definitely worth looking into.
The Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse holds multiple events throughout the year that benefit those in need. Two primary fundraising events include “The Circles of Hope Telethon” and “Harvest of Hope.” Through these events, the community comes together to rally for their cause.
The center has a 24-hour hotline service and offers community education to provide insight on how to deal with abuse, caregiver support groups, trauma therapy, volunteer services and other areas of need. The center is a place that welcomes a variety of people and strives to eliminate not only child abuse, but also other important issues.
“The Exchange Club is a great opportunity for Union students to engage the Jackson community in a real way,” said Charlie Ellis, a senior political science major and president of the Exchange Club. “Child abuse prevention is a serious, prevalent issue and we want to do whatever we can to help the victims.”
The Exchange Club will host fundraisers and events that shed light on the serious issue of child abuse, and they will be hosting a coat drive for the center this semester to donate to children with this specific need.
“It’s all for the kids,” said Cooper Thompson, a senior ministry and missions major.
The goal of the Exchange Club is allowing the community to understand the real issue of child abuse. Instead of choosing ignorance to an area such as child abuse, the Exchange Club is taking initiative to make a difference in these children’s lives.
The Exchange Club is a welcoming new addition to the Union campus and truly serves a distinct purpose as they strive to help others.
Photo by Tamara Friesen