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PLAINVIEW — 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ Baptist University’s Best Achievement Strategies for College (BASC) students once again embodied servant leadership and community service with their fifth annual food donation to the Faith in Sharing House (FISH) as part of Project HOPE — Helping Others by Providing Essentials.

This year, nearly 60 students from three sections of BASC classes participated in the effort, with about a dozen delivering a pickup truck filled with more than 75 boxes of ramen noodles and other canned goods to FISH just in time for Thanksgiving. The project supports FISH, which serves as a Hale County-wide food bank, and gives students an opportunity to serve the community and reflect on their experiences.

“HOPE — Helping Others by Providing Essentials — is the name the students came up with this year for their project,” said Kassandra Lane, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor of Business Administration. “Each student donates at least one package of ramen or a canned good and spends an hour volunteering at FISH. They then write about how the experience impacted them. It’s a wonderful way for them to translate 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ’s mission of service to God and humankind into action.”

Impact Beyond the Classroom

For students like Garrett Moseley, a freshman from Lubbock, the experience was rewarding.

“It was fun. I got to meet new people and understand what it’s like to volunteer,” he said. “It makes you feel good at the end of the day.”

Annalyse Larkin, a sophomore transfer student from Fort Worth, echoed the sentiment, noting how eye-opening the experience was.

“I wasn’t aware we had such a cool little storehouse that helps so many families in need,” she said. “It’s just fun and rewarding, and it showed me how important it is to give selflessly.”

Essential Support for FISH

The food donation comes at a critical time for FISH, which provides assistance to families across Hale County. Beverly Wall, Secretary of the FISH Board, expressed gratitude for the students’ involvement.

“We give ramen to every family that comes in, so this donation saves us from having to buy it,” Wall said. “We appreciate 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ’s continued support. This is the fifth year, and it means so much to us, especially with how busy we are during the holidays.”

Lane shared that the partnership with FISH has grown through the years.

“What’s really neat is that FISH interacts with other nonprofits, so this year, students got to see the broader impact of their efforts,” she said.

A Tradition of Service

Since its inception, the BASC service project has emphasized servant leadership, aligning with the course’s mission of preparing students for collegiate and personal success. The project teaches students to identify and connect with career goals, overcome fears of college life, and develop a strong sense of personal and community values.

“We start with how to be successful in college and end with this program, which allows students to see the importance of giving back,” Lane said. “Hopefully, it’s something they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.”

Through Project HOPE, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøÊÓƵ students exemplify the university’s mission of service and create meaningful connections with their community, reminding everyone of the power of giving during the holiday season.