Hunt Business Students Support Salvation Army Operations
Hunt Insights · Community Engagement
Hunt Business Students Support Salvation Army Operations
Twenty students from eight Hunt College organizations volunteered behind the scenes of the Salvation Army's day-to-day operations.
Date
Sept. 26, 2026
Students
20 volunteers
Organizations
Eight Hunt Business student organizations
The Big Picture
Twenty students. Eight organizations. One service day.
Hunt College of Business students volunteered with the Salvation Army in El Paso Sept. 26, providing hands-on support for the nonprofit's daily operations.
The Hunt Business Community Service Project brought together students from eight organizations to assist with facility maintenance, inventory, donated merchandise, and customer purchases.
Inside the Work
The work was practical and immediate.
Students worked alongside the Salvation Army on tasks that support the movement of donated goods through its thrift operation.
- Assisted with facility maintenance.
- Organized pallets and inventory.
- Sorted donated items for resale.
- Helped load purchased items into customer vehicles.
Student Perspective
A different view from behind the scenes.
For finance major and Financial Management Association member Itzel Sarmiento, the project offered a closer look at work that customers rarely see.
“Seeing things from the backscenes rather than just as a shopper offered a completely new perspective on community needs and real-world impact.”
Itzel Sarmiento · Finance · Financial Management Association
Sarmiento said volunteering also showed that students can contribute even when they are not in a position to make a major financial donation.
“Giving our time is a powerful way to contribute our ‘grain of sand.’”
Across Hunt Business
Eight organizations joined the effort.
The project brought students from organizations spanning accounting, finance, marketing, supply chain, and professional development together around one community partner.
- Beta Alpha Psi
- Association of Latino Professionals For America
- Women in Business Association
- American Marketing Association
- Accounting Society
- Media Marketing Society
- Financial Management Association
- Women in Supply Chain Excellence
Why It Matters
Service becomes part of leadership.
The volunteer project provided labor support for the Salvation Army while giving students experience working outside their usual academic and professional environments.
Sarmiento said that exposure matters because community service can shape how students think about leadership early in their careers.
“Our participation mattered because it did more than just support store operations,” she said. “It helped instill a lifelong commitment to service within our members.”
