About Us

“I learned more about life and humanity from going on these trips than I did in nearly a lifetime of school.”

— Michelle, Junior, International Relations, New Albany, OH

Students for the Poor was created after a group of fifteen Lynn University students traveled to Haiti in March 2008. The experience shook many of us in unforgettable ways and inspired us to continue changing lives in the most destitute places. We started raising awareness and funds for those in Haiti on our own campus. Within a year, we had raised over $40,000 and received media coverage from 15-20 media outlets. Beyond the money raised and the awareness created though, we loved the friendships we developed, the way our world view was shaped, and the campus climate that was created as we did good work. The work we continue to do is based on our passion and our understanding of the world — not because it is required for a class, a Greek chapter, or a school project. The relationships we developed on these trips are authentic and honest — they are not based on what we wear, the color of our skin, or the car we drive. We danced, we sang, we fed children, we built a house. We loved.

Due to the inquiries from so many of our peers at other schools, we decided to take Students for the Poor to other campuses starting during the 2009-2010 school year. We want every student to have this experience and to see what these experiences can do for them. The trips impact us all in different ways. The one thing that is the same is how incredible an experience it is…

Vision:

Our goal is to become the preeminent provider of life-changing opportunities for students of all ages while raising awareness of and providing support, encouragement, and hope for the materially poor and the poor in spirit.

Mission:

We seek to provide students with the opportunity to examine their values, beliefs, and spirituality, and to establish meaningful relationships with citizens of the world while providing for the immediate needs of the poor in the Caribbean and Latin America.