The Humanitarian Action Club is a service-based club run by the Center for Social Impact. The club’s main mission is to raise awareness and funds to support diverse social actions worldwide. Fellows Julia Neal ‘23, Evan Keiser ‘24, Jackie Campbell ‘24 and Bobby Schattle ‘25 all work together diligently to brainstorm and organize different events throughout the fall and spring semesters that connect the Fairfield University community to bigger global events that need attention. 

The big fall event is named Fall Fest and typically takes place in early November, with 100% of proceeds going to the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. The festival is held outside on the lawn in front of the Barone Campus Center with a petting zoo, DIY projects and pieing a friend in the face. However, not all of the events are as large as Fall Fest. For Halloween, club members dressed up in costumes and hosted a “trunk-or-treat” in front of the Caroline House in Bridgeport, Conn. Here, members handed out handmade goodie bags and candy to participating kids. The Caroline House provides immigrant women with English language classes and vocational skills in an effort to help them and their families adapt to life in the United States. Not only does this allow these children to celebrate Halloween safely, but it also serves as an excellent way for club members to have hands-on experience making a difference. 

The Spring semester calls for more fundraising. The big spring event hosted by the Humanitarian Action Club works to raise funds for the Wine to Water organization. In the quad, we host a W|W (Wine to Water) Filter Build, where the club sets up tables and students are invited to assemble water filters to send overseas to places that need them. It is an easy and accessible way for college students to aid the global water crisis. Fellow Jackie Campbell shared that “I joined Humanitarian Action Club because it’s a great group of people that share a want to better their local and global communities.” 

“This is my first semester officially as a Fellow, and it’s so exciting being able to be more hands-on with our upcoming projects, or help others with theirs,” she continued. The club meets bi-weekly on Thursdays for informational meetings in the Center for Social Impact. 

About The Author

Class of 2025

Christina Silvestri is an English Major with minors in Editing & Publishing and Italian Language & Literature.

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