SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) is an international non-profit organization on college and university campuses, where students do community based projects on relevant economic, social and environmental factors.
“They go in and empower people based on those factors to improve their standard of living and quality of life through the positive power of business,” said Duncan Gross, a junior accounting major from Memphis, Tenn., and executive director of Lipscomb SIFE. The organiztion, established on campus Jan. 15, 2010, made its debut as one of the fastest growing student-led organizations on campus. When it first began, SIFE enlisted students to join the efforts for service within the Nashville community.
“We sought to really work with the non-profits in Nashville to help them with the process and improvement of the projects they do within the community,” said Gross.
Originally taking on 16 projects at a time, SIFE has narrowed down their mark this year to only three, giving students the
opportunity to engage and serve at a more feasible work schedule.
Within the past year, SIFE members have collaborated with many non-profit organizations such as Greenhouse Ministries in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
“One of our biggest projects is Kilowatt Ours,” said Gross. “I plan to reenergize America.”
For that project, SIFE members and organization leaders complete a series of workshops to help low-income families save energy and decrease their electric bills by at least $80.
“This will help them save money, which they can reallocate to other aspects of life,” said Gross.
As SIFE continues to grow, its service has reached beyond state lines and into the international level.
In addition to serving the community, SIFE has also developed a pen pal project with David Lipscomb Middle School as well as a middle school in Madagascar.
With many Malagasy students involved in SIFE, Gross said this project holds a deep value for students as they lend a helping hand to the homeland of their fellow Lipscomb students.
“The project is to raise awareness of Madagascar here in America and also teach English to Madagascar students,” said Gross.
SIFE has impacted the lives of 50 thousand to 60 thousand people reaching within and far beyond the Nashville community.
“My vision for SIFE this year is to really grow the projects that we have going,” said Gross. “The past two years have been developing those projects and getting them established…and now I want them to grow.”
Under Gross’s leadership, SIFE has underlined the vision of sending computers to Madagascar, as well as target higher income families with the campaign to Save Kilowatt Ours.
“It is important to start targeting higher income families because they have the most lights in their houses and burning the most electricity,” Gross said, “and that is also money they could save and give back to the community.”
With no restrictions on the ability to join SIFE, students have full access to get involved and start serving the community.
“It’s never too late to join,” said Gross. “If you want to serve the community and don’t know where to start, here is your chance to join SIFE.”
For more information, please visit LipscombSIFE.org.