UCF Student Hopes to Encourage Helping with Donation Station, Seeks Support

UCF students take great pride in their community service work, whether it is providing food for the homeless, giving gifts to underprivileged families during the holidays or even playing a game of bingo with the local shelter.

So it comes to no surprise that one UCF student has plans to open the transparency of charitable donations and provide students with an easier access to donate.

Erica Tuttle, a UCF student, has been collaborating on a project she envisioned being brought to UCF’s student union. Named the “Donation Station,” the idea is simple: an interactive kiosk where students and faculty can donate to established charities around the world.

The donation station will provide an easy to use system where people can make a $5+ donation (which will be tax deductible) to a charity of their choice. After donating, a photo of an individual that has been helped by the selected charity will be printed out. The photos will be taken by social workers affiliated with each cause and will portray the beneficiaries smiling or making goofy faces. After receiving their print out donators will be able to take an optional photo and write an encouraging message back to the individuals being helped.

The project is hoping to reach out to students looking to help in order to make it happen.

“The machine has yet to be built and is still in its infancy so any students willing to join the team will have a major impact in its creation,” Tuttle says. The project is on hold until $2900 can be raised, which pays for the cost of the machine and shipping to Florida.

Please contact Erica Tuttle at Ericatuttle428@gmail.com if you have any suggestions or would like to get involved.