On My Feet get hand from Notre Dame students

A GROUP of local university students have turned a business initiative into a way to help people in need.

Business students from University of Notre Dame’s internship program were tasked with setting up a social business to help sell 300 pairs of orange socks for Fremantle-based not-for-profit On My Feet.

The students were split into teams and paired with mentors to develop a business plan to sell the socks, with the funds raised from the friendly competition going to On My Feet’s homeless programs.

Notre Dame business society vice president Tegan Murphy said it gave students an opportunity to learn how to run a business in a controlled environment as well as giving them a chance to make a difference in their community.

“On My Feet is doing something completely different to other organisations that seek to help the homeless,” she said.

“By supporting them, we are not just providing a meal or a blanket, but also a future.

“Through this experience, I hope to obtain the practical skills needed to run and manage a successful business.

“The access to mentors means that we are not having to work alone or start from scratch; we already have a wealth of knowledge to draw upon.”