The UA Communication Club, along with the International Association of Business Communications, volunteered at the BIO5 Institute on Monday. 

Elena Acoba, the director of communications for the Tucson branch of International Association of Business Communications, organized Monday’s event, which was dedicated to making supply kits for Operation Deep Freeze.

Operation Deep Freeze is a cooperative effort coordinated by the Tucson Winter Shelter Program and the Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless. Both are dedicated to giving additional aid, food, supplies and shelter to homeless individuals when temperatures dip below 35 degrees.

“”We wanted to spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day doing a charitable event since it is a national day of service,”” said Paul Tumarkin, the International Association of Business Communications president. “”It just seemed appropriate and there was a real desire to do it.””

The UA Communication Club, a group of UA communication majors and minors, joined the event to increase their participation in volunteering. 

“”We’re trying to do more community service this semester,”” said Julie Levin, the newly elected club president. “”This event was especially appealing because it also gives us the chance to network with professionals in our field.””

Tumarkin said the two organizations working together was beneficial to everyone involved.

“”I think more than anything what we (International Association of Business Communications) offer is a forum for students to get involved with professionals, people who know what they’re talking about,”” he said.

“”One of our major goals as a club is to connect with people in the real world who work the kind of jobs we are studying to get,”” Levin said. “”And if we can do some good work at the same time then we’re all for it.””

The event was the first organized by the International Association of Business Communications on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, though it does hold monthly events, mostly in the form of informal, network-based conferences.

Tumarkin hopes that the day of service will soon become an annual occurrence.

“”If the interest is there like it was this year then we could definitely do that,”” she said.