Women for ACU looks to expand their organization by conducting their annual membership luncheon as they look for members ready to encourage and provide financial support to students.
In 1969, Women of ACU was founded by a group of women associated with ACU with a focus to providing students scholarships. The organization was only made up of women who were associated with ACU, whether they were ACU graduates, sponsors with family members or faculty members’ wives.
“Women for ACU was originally formed as a scholarship program,” said Aubree Selinger, WACU alumni relations officer. “The group of ladies had the mindset of ‘How can we better ACU?'”
The organization is now called Women for ACU and has opened its membershiop to anyone who has an interest in supporting a Christian education.
“It started off as Women of ACU so it was only for ACU graduates and ACU moms, but they wanted to make the group more available which is when they changed it to Women for ACU,” Selinger said.
The group’s activities and involvement in the university have greatly increased over the years as they lend a helping hand wherever the need may be in the form of financial aid.
“Each year, we fund a project on campus,” said Roberta Bender, WACU vice president for publicity. “This year, we funded new furniture and decor for the biblical studies undergraduate common area. We were able to provide $10,000 in order to get new carpeting, painting and furnishing that was outdated.”
The driving force behind WACU is to do things for ACU that are outside the realm of the financial budget’s reach.
“What we look for in our projects are things that will directly benefit students,” Bender said. “We want the students be able to get the benefit of them immediately.”
WACU still provides scholarships and were able to give 17 students $4,000 scholarships to help pay for schooling.
Currently, WACU has a bake sale every Thursday from 12-5:30 p.m in the ACU Museum gift shop.
“We have a group of ladies who make fresh baked goods along with frozen casseroles which college kids seem to particularly like,” Bender said.
This weekly bake sale is one of WACU’s main fundraising activities.
The group will have their membership luncheon on Nov. 13 in the Hunter Welcome Center at 11:30 a.m for anyone interested in becoming a part of WACU.
“We would like to increase our membership,” Bender said. “We know that by having more members with their financial membership fee support, we would able to do more.”
The entrance fee for the luncheon is $5.
