Better Community Club – ‘Kindness, initiative and change’
If you are eager to be a socially engaged member of our society, you belong to the Better Community Club. Here you will learn about different social causes and initiatives, and will have the incredible opportunity to participate and contribute for their realization. You will have the chance to be a part of an outstanding team of courageous change-makers fighting for a better society. Take a look at our interview with the President of Better Community Club, Neli Velichkova and learn more about what they do.
How would you describe your club in 3 words?
The three words that stand for Better Community Club are kindness, initiative and change.
What is your club about?
Better Community Club is a humanitarian club which aims to increase the levels of social engagement among young people. By raising awareness on different social issues, Better Community Club encourages AUBG students to be the change they want to see in the world.
What kind of people are you looking for in your club?
Our club needs big-hearted and initiative people who believe that the social change is possible. People who think differently and prioritize the common good.
If I can describe the BCC members with only one word, I will definitely say that they are all altruists.
What kind of events do you organize?
All of the event we organize have a social impact. These are the events we usually organize annually:
- We run 1Km for Hope – a run around AUBG campus to support Breast Cancer Awareness
- Be Santa for a Kid in Need, where BCCers and AUBGers bought presents for the kids from the orphanage in Blagoevgrad, attended their Christmas Show and organized a Surprise party for them
- Christmas Charity bazaar. BCC united all AUBG clubs, Faculty & Staff around 3 good causes. The money raised last year went to families in Albania injured in the earthquake, Home for elderly and children with disabilities and the Dog shelter in Logodazh.
- The biggest event the club has ever had is Innovation Station: Social Change Starts Here. It attracted 100+ students, social entrepreneurs and professors. 11 NGOs and 11 AUBG professors joined our contest as mentors and contributed a lot to our mission. This contest gained popularity and we will do it again this year.
- Be our Valentine – a small 1-day event – a kind act of giving people heart-shaped balloons and cookies and giving them a chance to participate in our Photo competition.
- This year, we are planning one more big event – a conference on the topic of human rights which will be organized with the help of one of the largest and most famous groups of social activists in the world – Amnesty International. We believe that it will be another great experience for all AUBG students.
What is the meaning behind your club’s name?
The name of our club is focused on two main words “better” and “community.” “Better” stands for our goal to spread the spirit of kindness, maximize the common good and improve the current social situation. “Community” represents our target group. All of our efforts are focused on the community (both regional and global). We at BCC see ourselves as meaningful parts of the community and therefore, we don’t get tired of contributing to it.
How has being part of this club enhanced your AUBG experience?
Even if it may sound cheesy, Better Community Club is the best thing that has happened to me at AUBG. Thanks to BCC, I feel as a meaningful part of the society every single day. BCC empowers me to act, change and contribute. Thanks to the club, I met like-minded people who brought the best out of me. BCC is not just an experience that lasts four academic years. It’s much more. It’s a spirit that stays with you forever.