SHSU Students Learn Service through Peanut Butter Production

By: Julia May, Assistant Director, Communications, Sam Houston State University

In addition to the obvious objective of educating students, one of Sam Houston State University’s (SHSU) official goals is to “promote students’ intellectual, social, ethical, and leadership growth.”

Last week, the university facilitated that goal by providing an opportunity for representatives from several groups, including the SHSU American Democracy Project, to produce 3,000 pounds of peanut butter for distribution to poor residents of Walker County in southeast Texas where the university is located.

“We want to build a better relationship between the university and the community,” said SHSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Payne. “It’s appropriate for our students to volunteer and serve the community where they are getting their education.”

On Nov. 7, approximately 30 volunteers from several university groups including the American Democracy Project, LULAC, the Political Science Junior Fellows, the Latter-day Saints Student Association, and students taking sociology classes traveled approximately 150 miles round-trip from SHSU to Houston and worked in the Latter-day Saints peanut butter cannery producing 1,600 jars of peanut butter.

After inspection by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the peanut butter was transported to Walker County and distributed to food banks and various charitable organizations and agencies in the area.

“The university purchased the peanuts. With students doing the production work, they were able to make peanut butter for less than $1 a jar,” Payne said, noting that the local market value is approximately $3 a jar.

“I volunteered to go because I felt that this was definitely a good cause and a great activity to help the Huntsville community,” said Blake Roach, a junior political science major from Big Spring, Tex.

“It was also an educational experience for me because we just assume that food is going to be there for us; we never think about how it gets to the store shelves,” he said. “It made me appreciate the people who produce our food.”

Another student, criminal justice senior Juan Ramos of Houston, said he volunteered out of curiosity, but came away with a good feeling about service.

“I’ve never made peanut butter before, and I thought it would be interesting to see how it was produced,” he said. “After we were done, I had the personal satisfaction of knowing I had done something important to benefit people in need in Walker County.”