Because of Lander University's Enactus student organization, La Puerta de Esperanza in Greenwood now has a riveting public relations video that showcases its mission to future supporters. By providing the video - from conception and taping to editing and production - free of charge to La Puerta, Enactus is quickly establishing itself as a powerful ally for area businesses and organizations.
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 public relations video, which contains powerful visual testimonials from La Puerta volunteers and graduates of the program, was presented to La Puerta on the heels of a gift of new computers, which were purchased in early December by Enactus through a grant from Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative.
According to Covone VanDorn, a Lander business marketing major from Taylors and president of Enactus, the entrepreneurial-based organization is all about empowering others. "Whether we are working business executives or community leaders, our goal is to help practically anybody who wants to make a positive change," he said. "The community projects that we commit to are focused on empowering others, and that's certainly the case with how we're working with La Puerta."
In producing the video, Enactus turned to the expertise of Hunter Caulder, a Lander mass communication major from Chesterfield. "The entire process took about three months to complete, and was a complete labor of love," he said.
Carol Gray, center director for La Puerta, premiered the video during the organization's annual fundraising dinner on Feb. 7. "A picture can tell a thousand words, and this video is amazing," she said. "A video of this caliber by an agency would easily have cost us well over $1,500. I'm so thankful that we have people like the Enactus group in our community."