Susanna Haubner, in light blue, and other Planeteers plant trees for the first grove in the Fresno carbon neutral initiative.

Each week, students from the North Centers campuses meet at Willow International for a meeting of the Planeteers Club. With approximately 20 active members and an email list of almost a hundred, the Planeteers take “an active role to promote peace, a thriving global community, and a healthy environment,” according to Club President Jasmine Leyro. “Our goal,” she said, “is to educate the student body and the community about social and environmental threats and steps everyone can take to minimize such threats. Ultimately, we strive to act as a force of positive change.”

The club was founded last year by Susanna Haubner, current club treasurer and former president. “The Planeteers Club was founded for the purpose of being a volunteer club,” she said. Members strive to “make the community a better place by volunteering our time,” she said.

“Ultimately, we strive to act as a force of positive change.” – Jasmine Leyro, club president

Jasmine described some of the members’ volunteer activities: “We serve lunch to the homeless at the Poverello House and volunteer at the Valley Animal Center, the Fresno Philharmonic, the Clovis Botanical Garden, and flu shot clinics administered by Madera County Public Health.”

The club also organizes ongoing campaigns to get others involved. Current activities include a food drive for St. Martha’s Pantry, a local food bank. “We’ve set out eleven bins around the Willow campus for students and faculty to put canned foods and non-perishable goods,” Jasmine said.

The reach of the Planeteers is not limited to local concerns.

“We had a movie night recently where we showed the movie Hotel Rwanda, and the proceeds benefited the Save Darfur Coalition,” Susanna said. “We took a break in the middle of the movie to have a Skype [online] conference with two people who had been there in Rwanda during the genocide, and we got to ask them questions. It was a learning experience for everyone and it really helped everyone understand what’s going on in Darfur.”

The club holds similar movie nights raising awareness and funds for a variety of global causes.

With the leadership of Jasmine and Susanna, the Planeteers have blossomed into force for good. Jasmine explained their roles: “I’ve sort of been the organization of the club this semester, where Susie has been the passion. She consistently comes up with new ideas for fundraisers and events, and exudes a level of enthusiasm for our causes that far surpasses the attitude of any other member. I facilitate activities, make agendas, run the meetings, and send out emails with the minutes.”

Jasmine and Susanna, both sophomores, plan on continuing service beyond college. Jasmine is pursuing a medical career and Susanna is majoring in political science. But the club will remain strong even after they move on.

As Jasmine explains, the strength of the club lies in its members. “I’ve tried to add an element of stability to this young club,” she said, “but the Planeteers themselves are truly deserving of credit. None of our fundraisers, activities, or events could have been accomplished without their ideas, commitment, and desire to help others.”

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