General News College of Business

Lander Enactus Provides New Computers for Organization

University Relations Staff
18 December 2014

Members of Lander University's Enactus organization deliver three new computers to La Puerta de Esperanza. Shown left to right: Amanda Morgan (staff adviser); Migsara Santiago, of Columbia; Bredai Raffaldt, of Greenwood (president); Mark Quento Maready, of Easley (vice president of finance); Kevin McKittrick, of Fountain Inn (vice president of marketing); Keith Dumais, of Johnston (vice president of marketing elect); Covone VanDorn, of Taylors (president elect); Carol Gray (center director for La Puerta); Brook Norton, of Spartanburg; and Sadie Erwin (staff adviser).

Thanks to Lander University's Enactus organization, Christmas came early for La Puerta de Esperanza in Greenwood. On Dec. 12, Enactus members delivered three new computers to La Puerta, which is devoted to helping the Hispanic population in the community, and is in the process of producing a multimedia video presentation for the organization to use throughout the community.

Every day, La Puerta serves over 50 Hispanic youngsters - ranging in age from 5-17 - in after school programs, as well as Hispanic adults who need literacy assistance.

"The theme of Enactus is taking entrepreneurial ideas and putting them into action to empower others," explained Covone VanDorn, a Lander business marketing major from Taylors and president-elect of Enactus. "From business and community leaders, our goal is to help practically anybody who wants to make a positive change. The community projects that we commit to are focused on empowering others, and that's certainly the case with the new computers for La Puerta."

In explaining the need for the new computers, Carol Gray, center director for La Puerta, said, "Most of our students do not have a computer in their home and no means of transportation to the library, so these gifts from Enactus are essential to their success with school work and literacy issues."

While the purchase of the computers was made possible by a grant from Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative, the multimedia video is a project furnished solely by Enactus.

"We have enlisted the help of a Lander mass communication student to produce the video," said VanDorn. "Carol does such a fantastic job in sharing the La Puerta vision with members of the Greenwood community, and this video will help in bringing her message home."

Enactus is becoming increasingly active in the Greenwood community, and has projects for two local business. "We are helping one business with their marketing by creating and boosting their social media efforts as well as reconstructing their out-of-date website to increase search engine optimization and web traffic," said VanDorn. "Enactus is helping yet another business with a recycling project for glass bottles."