Ball State’s chapter of Global Brigades is selling grilled cheese sandwiches in the Village on the weekends to fund its trips to Panama and Nicaragua.
Global Brigades is a student-led health and economic equality initiative. Students in the organization travel to Central America in different brigades to help improve the environment, public health, water and architecture, and provide medical and dental care.
The organization has been selling grilled cheese since Fall 2013, said Kasey Burchett, chairperson of the organization. It sets up shop during the Fall Semester on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m, when there is heavy foot traffic in the Village. Each brigade takes turns selling the sandwiches to raise money for their specific section.
“It’s definitely an experience. You meet all sorts of drunk [people], it’s crazy,” Burchett said.
Burchett recalled an incident where one guy handed them $20 and didn’t even buy a grilled cheese.
“I don’t even think he knew what we were or anything,” she said, “We were like, ‘Do you want a grilled cheese?’ and he was like, ‘Don’t worry about.’”
Jelena Petricevic, president of the medical and dental brigade, said the grilled cheese booth is profitable when there is good weather, because many people are out at the bars.
“People that are intoxicated spend a lot more money on food, so it’s a really good sale for us,” Petricevic said. “It is a lot of fun. We all really have a good time.”
Petricevic’s brigade is traveling to Panama in May 2016. Her brigade is raising funds for medication and clinical costs.
“Our brigade is by far the most expensive because medication is not cheap, and all the money we fundraise goes toward medication,” she said.
Denise Blankenberger, president of the water brigade, will lead students to Nicaragua in January 2016, where they will help bring fresh water into the community. All sales from the grilled cheese on her brigade's shift will go directly to pay for their trip, she said.
“We have to pay for our own way,” Blankenberger said. “We get no support. It’s all self funded.”
Even though they don't have a permit to sell food, Petricevic said Global Brigades has never been stopped by Muncie police. In fact, sometimes they even support the organization.
“They normally buy from us,” she said. “We’re doing it for a good reason, and we tell them why we’re doing it.”
Global Brigades usually sets up its table in front of Insomnia Cookies or by the T.I.S. Bookstore, Burchett said. Grilled cheese costs $2.
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