In March, more than 100 Daniels School of Business students filled the second-floor atrium of Purdue’s Rawls Hall with energy and purpose, working side by side to pack hundreds of supply boxes for families across the community.
The event grew from a smaller service project the year prior.
“The initiative came from last year’s event, where Cummins partnered with the Purdue Accounting Association to pack 100 boxes with 20-30 volunteers,” says Associate Director of Student Success Cara Cray, who led the effort. “This year, we challenged ourselves to do much more — and the response from students was incredible.”
This year's organizers set out to dramatically expand the impact. With additional support from Cummins and coordination with United Way and Food Finders, student leaders mobilized quickly, recruiting more volunteers from across business student organizations.
The event was designed as both a service opportunity and a learning experience. Participants rotated through three stations: a corporate citizenship presentation from Cummins, a United Way session paired with a shared meal and the centerpiece activity — packing supply boxes for those in need.
On the second-floor atrium, students worked assembly-line style, filling boxes with essential items tailored to three groups: newborns, young children and senior citizens. Diapers, wipes and baby care products went into infant kits; pajamas, books and toothbrushes into children’s packs; and pantry staples into boxes for seniors.
What began as a plan to assemble 300 total packages grew with a last-minute increase in donated food supplies that required a shift in logistics. Volunteers adapted, saving the expanded packing effort for the final rotation.
“All in all, 400 supply packs were packed in just over 1.5 hours,” Cray says. “It really showed what’s possible when students, faculty and community partners come together with a shared goal.”
The event’s success reflected not only careful planning but also strong collaboration among students, faculty and community partners. Beyond the numbers, the experience gave students a tangible way to engage with concepts like corporate responsibility and service leadership, demonstrating how collective action can turn a simple idea into a powerful force for good.
“Seeing firsthand where the packages were going and who they were helping was incredibly eye-opening,” says Luke Ford, president of the Purdue Accounting Association and a sophomore majoring in Accounting. “Learning more about each of these organizations and the impact of their work served as a powerful reminder of why service matters. Watching an idea grow into something that truly made a difference in people's lives was an experience I’ll carry with me.”
