Tag Archives: REVO

We’re Not Waiting on the World to Change

REVO 2.2

By Trent Broeckel

On Friday, October 30th, Pacific Union College’s student-led philanthropic group REVO kicked off its fundraising campaign with a vespers and launch party. Short for revolution, REVO is based on the idea students will not wait for the world to change and together, will become a movement for positive change.

This year, REVO is partnering with a fair trade business called Freeset, located in Sonagacchi, one of Asia’s largest red light districts in Kolkata, India. Women at Freeset are offered a chance to change their lives and are taught skills like making clothing, bags, and other merchandise. All profits from Freeset go directly to these women, providing them with salary, health insurance, and retirement plans. REVO’s goal for this quarter is to raise $10,023 which is the exact amount necessary to employ 27 women at Freeset.

REVO 1.2

This past summer, seven PUC students were led by professors Alisa Jacobo and Cristian Cruz to work side by side with women at Freeset in Kolkata. REVO’s president and PUC senior communication major Evelyn Marquez was one of those who saw the global issue in Kolkata first hand. “They didn’t have a choice, but Freeset created the opportunity for them to have one,” Marquez explained, “A choice to experience freedom.”

The REVO team has organized and presented a $10 challenge to PUC students in hopes of reaching their goal for fall quarter. If every student at PUC participates in the challenge, REVO could raise far more than their goal. College students stereotypically do not have much money, though Marquez argues accepting the $10 challenge is not taxing. “We can sacrifice one trip to Giugni’s with our friends to give someone a lifetime of freedom. I met a girl named Daali in Kolkata. Her monthly food budget before starting work at Freeset was $10. A small donation can really go a long way.”

Christopher Lawrence, senior accounting major and REVO’s vice president, expresses, “Helping people is one thing but offering them the option of a completely better life is something I believe God wants us to do as Christians.”

Marquez, Jacobo, and senior intercultural communication major Pascale Pean shared their summer experiences in Kolkata at REVO’s vespers. Afterwards, the Student Association provided samosas and mango lassi. During the course of REVO’s opening weekend, with the support from both the Student Association and Enactus (non-profit business club), REVO has already raised around $1,000 in donations. This marks a fantastic start for the campaign, but more work needs to be done.

If you would like to learn more about REVO and the opportunity to change the future of women at risk of being trafficked, please visit www.facebook.com/revopuc.

If you feel compelled to help, you can donate at www.crowdrise.com/revopuc (tax deductable).

5 Things We’re Looking Forward To In 2015

There are a lot of things we’re looking forward to this year at PUC, but here are a few events in particular we’re really excited about!

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Tri-Campus Retreat
January 16-19, 2015

Tri-Campus Retreat is an annual tradition where students from PUC, La Sierra University, and Loma Linda University get together for a weekend full of nature and worship at Camp Wawona in Yosemite.

PUC students served in Fiji this past summer.

PUC students served in Fiji this past summer.

Spring Break Mission Trips
March 20-29, 2015

This spring break, PUC students will be serving at health clinics in Nicaragua and Brazil, and volunteering at a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Interested in going on one of these trips, or making a donation towards them? Visit the links below.

Nicaragua – Clínica Verde
Brazil – Amazon River
Arizona – Project Pueblo

Melabi Amponsah shared her message with PUC for Student Week of Prayer 2014.

Melabi Amponsah shared her message with PUC for Student Week of Prayer 2014.

Student Week of Prayer
April 20-24, 2015

Each quarter, students are blessed with a wonderful Week of Prayer with an inspiring guest speaker but for the spring, students hear from their peers about how God has worked in their lives by sharing personal testimonies.

PUC students at the REVO rummage sale last year.

PUC students at the REVO rummage sale last year.

REVO
TBD

Short for revolution, this student-led ministry raises money each year for a specific cause through a variety of events, like a Color Run, fashion show, and rummage sale. Since 2008, PUC has raised close to $50,000 for causes such as Love146, Project Pueblo, ADRA, and the Napa Valley Food Bank.

Natalie Robles is all smiles at graduation.

Natalie Robles is all smiles at graduation.

Graduation
June 12-14, 2015

Of course we’re always sad to see our seniors leave, but we’re excited to see what plans God has in store for each and every one of our graduates!

What’s a “REVO”?

I remember when someone first mentioned REVO to me during my first year at PUC. I had no idea what it was, and it didn’t help that they were terrible at explaining. Was it a yard sale, a concert, or a fashion show? And why did people keep mentioning veggie corn dogs? I ended up finding out that REVO is all of that and more.

These diverse activities come together in one night to make a positive difference in the world. Kind of like the Justice League of charity events. Every year, REVO raises money and donates it to a specific project. This year, the funds went to Project Worku which funds education for children in Ethiopia.

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The Stuff Sale is one of the ways people can get involved. Anyone can donate things that they aren’t using anymore, so you’ll see clothes, electronics, and the occasional novelty item from the 80’s. With the amount of stuff people make, donate, or dig up to sell for the day you can wind up finding some really cool stuff. One year, I even found an original Gameboy. You never know what you’re going to see. And the beauty of it is that it’s all going to a good cause. REVO is a great example of a Christian community getting together to do something good in a way that’s fun and inclusive. Oh, and there’s
great food too! REVO always has the best veggie corn dogs this side of the Veggie-Mississippi.

Once you’ve bought your stuff and loaded up on food, you have the concert and fashion show to look forward to. And this year was on point. Some of the best student bands were there to bring you everything from the Earth Wind and Fire, to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We also got to hear some awesome original pieces too, which I spent a week trying to find bootleg recordings of to put on my iPhone.

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Now I have to be honest and say that I’m not the world’s most fashion-forward person. I was still mixing my plaids with stripes up until junior year of high school… But I still love the fashion show. Want to see what a clothing line based off of the old school Pokemon cartoon looks like? REVO’s got it. Ever watch Disney’s Up and wish you had a dress made out of bright balloons? REVO has you covered. Every year, teams of student designers get together to make their own clothing collections. It’s all very high-class.

Between the music, the open air market, and the runway show, you get a really special evening. And you get to help make a difference in people’s lives while you’re at it. So come to REVO next spring! Seriously, where else are you going to find a corn dog that helps fund someone’s education on the other side of the world?

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