T-shirt program raises money for social programs

With a little imagination and a lot of ambition, junior anthropology major Amy Zhang began VoraciTee, a nonprofit apparel line that profiles social injustices in the community and the world.

Zhang came up with the concept of a T-shirt line with eye-catching graphics while eating a slice of pizza during her first year at UNC.

From that point, she applied for and won a grant from the APPLES Service-Learning Program to start her own social entrepreneurship venture.

“I think I’m doing VoraciTee because it brings together a lot of different elements that we might not associate with being able to bring about direct social change,” Zhang said.

In the future, Zhang said people will be able to directly order shirts from their Web site and have them delivered. One of Zhang’s friends is also helping the group to distribute shirts to stores in New York City.

But the grassroots group has only five student members at UNC.

“We run a pretty small operation right now,” Zhang said. “It doesn’t have a lot of people.”

On Tuesday night, the Campus Y hosted a recruitment party for students interested in interning with VoraciTee. Zhang said the group is looking for two marketing interns and two screen-printing interns to help promote the group and print the shirts.

The internship applications are available online. They are to be sent to the group by Dec. 3 at 2 p.m.

“I was interested in engaging in the community aspect,” said first-year studio art major Lauren Russell, who is applying for a design internship.

The interest meeting was geared toward expanding the organization, said Stephanie Liu, co-director of VoraciTee.

“Our main focus is growing our team and getting more people on board,” she said.

VoraciTee has worked in the past raising money for both domestic and international organizations.

It raised $500 for Student U, an organization that seeks to improve education in the Durham area through a summer and yearlong program in area middle schools.

Another organization VoraciTee worked with was Mjaft!, which helps fund civic engagement in Albania. Through Mjaft!, VoraciTee is donating to the Gerdec Community Center Project, which provides psychotherapy and support for Gerdec children after their village was destroyed during the dismantling of artillery in the area.

Students can buy shirts in the Pit throughout the year or by e-mailing the program and picking up the purchase from a VoraciTee representative.

APPLES Social Entrepreneur Fellowships receive as much as $1,500 to start service projects that impact communities both local and abroad.

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.