TU Students Helping Honduras recognized for service

By Heidi Stasiowski '17 on November 11, 2016

The Towson University chapter of Students Helping Honduras (SHH) was recognized for its commitment to providing Hondurans in need with the tools to create a better future.

The group received the Excellence in Student Service Award from the Maryland-DC Campus Compact (MDCCC), a nonprofit that mobilizes higher education to advance communities through civic and community engagement.

“We were thrilled to receive the news that we had won,” says Alex Laue ’18, co-president of TU’s SHH chapter. “As a club that sets out to raise $30,000 per semester, we [are] always planning and fundraising and often times do not have time to pursue [honors and awards].”

The award recognizes one student group for its leadership in and commitment to service projects that extend beyond co-curricular requirements or course-based service learning. The formal presentation took place at Georgetown University on Nov. 2 during the MDCCC’s Presidents’ Institute conference.

Students Helping Honduras provides volunteer opportunities to hundreds of students each year by empowering them to raise funds and awareness to help poor Hondurans pull themselves out of poverty. Volunteers have aided in funding and building schools, homes, clean water and sanitation systems, soccer fields and more.

The TU chapter is undoubtedly committed to their mission, having raised close to $250,000 since its founding in 2010 and $8,500 during fall 2016 term alone. As a whole, SHH’s goal is to build 1,000 schools throughout the country of Honduras; 32 have been built so far and TU students began building 11 of them last spring.

Laue, who has traveled to Honduras three times, is planning a fourth trip this winter. He hopes that this recognition from the MDCCC will bring awareness to the issues facing countries like Honduras.  

He notes, “We fundraise for a reason, and we have a goal of alleviating extreme poverty and gang violence through youth-education. Our goal of seeing a gang-free and safe Honduras is achievable with the help of awesome people like you. . .”