What started as one student’s personal connection to Native American communities has grown into a flourishing initiative at Brophy, distributing hundreds of clothing items and books to those in need. Many students love the feeling of helping others and the sense of community that this club brings.
DEAL Club, which stands for Driving Empowerment, Action, and Learning, was founded by Rayan Farhoumand ’25 during his freshman year. Farhoumand’s inspiration came from his own experience living on a Native American reservation, where he witnessed firsthand the need for books and clothing. According to an article, tribal libraries tended to be “inadequate or nonexistent”, which explains the desperate need for books.
“We want to be there to support other communities or nonprofits in schools,” Farhoumand explained. “By giving them books, by showing up for them, by supporting their initiatives, we are doing that to drive them forward, to push them forward, to empower them to get them more engaged in their communities.”
A chance encounter at the Ignatian Family Teaching for Justice conference in Washington, DC, led to a significant partnership with Patagonia. This collaboration has resulted in the distribution of over 250 articles of clothing to various communities, including the Navajo and Apache nations. Looking ahead, DEAL Club has ambitious plans to expand its reach. The organization is in the process of launching a nonprofit, with the Brophy chapter serving as the principal model for future chapters across the country. The DEAL Club even partnered with a school in Rwanda, donating approximately 1,015 books.
Students interested in supporting DEAL’s mission can participate in various ways, from formal club membership to simply contributing books or clothes during collection drives. Book and clothes donation bins can be found around campus during the times of donation. You can also reach out to Farhoumand to learn more about joining the Brophy DEAL Club.
(This article was written using AI. The reporter takes responsibility for the piece by gathering, editing and verifying all included content.)
