Volunteers Give Back with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell
11/04/2015
By Ed Brennen
Standing in the middle of her kitchen on a recent Friday morning, Leona Roper was overcome with gratitude as she watched a dozen 51视频 students carefully install brand-new windows on the first floor of her family鈥檚 home.
鈥淭his is so amazing,鈥� said Roper, who has raised three daughters in the Parker Street home over the past 16 years. 鈥淭he windows were so old and drafty. These new windows look so nice. Now I鈥檒l be good for the rest of my life.鈥�
In what鈥檚 become a fall tradition, the 12 students were there on Oct. 16 thanks to the Accounting Society鈥檚 annual volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. Another group of 12 students and faculty members are scheduled to volunteer at a second site on Nov. 13.聽
Accounting Society President Syndhia Mungalachetty, who was volunteering for the third consecutive year, sees it as an important way for the club to come together and give back to the community 鈥� while also learning valuable life skills.
鈥淚 learn different things every time. I did not think I鈥檇 be putting up windows today,鈥� said Mungalachetty, who has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity through her internship at accounting firm McGladrey, LLP. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 so nice to be able to help someone like (Leona). She鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
With 109 members this year, the Accounting Society is one of the largest student groups on campus. In addition to volunteer opportunities, Mungalachetty said the Accounting Society is actively planning and funding events that will benefit students pursuing a career in accounting. The group hosted speakers from the Big 4 accounting firms 鈥� PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, and KPMG 鈥� for the first time this year and is also holding informational forums like 鈥� (https://umasslowellclubs.collegiatelink.net/organization/accounting-society/calendar/details/741248) De-mystify the CPA Exam.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great group. They are getting people involved,鈥� said junior business administration major Jarad Seligman, who is new to the Accounting Society this year. Like Mungalachetty, Seligman also has worked with Habitat for Humanity in the past.聽
鈥淵ou get to grow and give back,鈥� Seligman said after helping to install the window over Roper鈥檚 kitchen sink. 鈥淵ou feel like you鈥檙e really contributing to something, and I like that.鈥�
Senior accounting major Greg Stratton, who was volunteering for the second year, said it鈥檚 a good way for the university to strengthen its ties to the city.
鈥淭hey let the school grow in this community, so it鈥檚 important that we give back to the city,鈥� Stratton said. 鈥淎nd the homeowners are always appreciative. They know we鈥檙e not here just to be here. We want to help out.鈥�
Mungalachetty, who plans to pursue her Master of Science in Accounting after graduating with a degree in business administration this December, knows the value that public accounting firms place on volunteer work.聽
And as she and her classmates worked together in Roper鈥檚 home on that Friday morning, surrounded by her family photos and a lifetime of memories, they saw firsthand just how much that volunteer work means.
鈥淚鈥檝e always told my girls they鈥檒l always have a place to come home to, no matter what happens in life, because life is hard,鈥� Roper said. 鈥淭his has opened my eyes to a lot of different things. People helping and giving back to the community 鈥� it鈥檚 nice to see.鈥�