Grab a shopping bag and get ready to browse students’ creative work because Sip N’ Shop is back. This year’s Sip N’ Shop event will take place Wednesday, March 11, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in Stamps Courtyard outside of the Alumni Dining Commons and Chick-fil-A.
Sip N’ Shop is a fundraising opportunity for students participating in California Baptist University’s International Service Project (ISP) trips.
ISP trips are part of the Office of Spiritual Life’s Mobilization program. They allow students to travel abroad and experience different cultures, fulfill the university’s commitment to the Great Commission and continue to grow in their relationship with Christ.
This is the third year that CBU has arranged Sip N’ Shop. The past two years it partnered with Wake Up Wednesday outside the Events Center. Now that Wake Up Wednesday has moved to Lancer Plaza, Sip N’ Shop is taking place in Stamps Courtyard, where there is more space for students to host their fundraising booths. However, Arcade Coffee Roasters will be bringing a pop-up booth so that students can sip as they shop for homemade gifts and crafts made by ISP students during this event.
In years past, succulents, candles, clay earrings and bags were some of many items for sale. Many students such as Aaron Carrillo, freshman electrical and computer engineering major, think outside the box to hand-make items to sell at Sip N’ Shop.
“I will be selling home-decor wood crafts to raise the necessary funds to cover my expenses for my ISP trip this upcoming summer,” Carrillo said.
Elyse Defoe, ISP ministry assistant, explained the purpose of Sip N’ Shop.
“All the students participating in ISP have the opportunity to fundraise their cost of the trip, and Sip N’ Shop is simply an event that was created for these students to fundraise by selling their crafts and homemade goods,” Defoe said.
Taylor Wong, junior biomedical sciences major, said she is participating in Sip N’ Shop for the second year in a row. Wong said she thinks Sip N’ Shop is a great fundraiser.
“It seems like finances are one of the top reasons that prevent people from ISP, yet opportunities like this are so great to help out, and even if you don’t make a ton of money, you still get to talk to people and get the word out about what the Lord is doing through you among the nations,” Wong said.
Wong said she and her team will be pre-selling their team T-shirts at Sip N’ Shop this year.
“They are T-shirts with a skyline and the word ‘seek’ (based on Deuteronomy 4:29) in multiple languages that are representative of the Bible and our ISP location,” Wong said.
There are many different reasons students choose to go on ISP trips.
“I am going on an ISP trip to firstly fulfill the Great Commission and experience God’s work in a society outside my own,” Carrillo said. “Secondly, I am going on an ISP trip to bond with like-minded followers of Jesus Christ and fulfill the cross-cultural experience requirement for my degree.”
No matter the reason a student decides to go on an ISP trip, they all need to pay for their trip and Sip N’ Shop is a creative way to assist them in doing so.
Sip N’ Shop is a one-day-only event and students interested in shopping at the event need to bring cash or use their Venmo app as they explore the many booths.
“Everyone is welcome to come to the event. CBU students, parents, staff and faculty can come and shop around,” DeFoe said. “I would love to see the whole campus come out.”
ISP participants will be staffing both individual and team fundraising tables for Sip N’ Shop in Stamps Courtyard from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. All are welcome to stop by, sip coffee and shop to support the many ISP trips.