The Public Relations Student Society of America provides services for its clients for free, and spends every day trying to disprove the notion that you get what you pay for.

The NIU chapter is geared toward providing its members with experience in their chosen field by providing them an opportunity to work on actual public relations campaigns.

Neal Wanat, a senior corporate communication major and assistant director of contact at PRSSA’s public relations firm, said the organization has lofty goals.

“PRSSA’s mission is to serve its members by enhancing their knowledge of public relations and providing access to professional development and opportunities, and to serve the public relations profession by helping to develop highly qualified, well-prepared professionals,” he said.

PRSSA is simultaneously working on campaigns for the Peace Corps, a special-needs horse ranch and a book launch for an NIU alumnus, while also attempting to organize a winter apparel drive and, later in the year, its annual organ donor bash. Campaigns generally involve creating press releases and trying to raise awareness around campus.

PRSSA president Jenny Sherman, a senior corporate communication major, said it’s sometimes difficult to draw attention to its causes, thanks to a sometimes uninvolved NIU campus.

“With the campus we have, it is known as a suitcase campus so it’s kind of hard to get people to stay around and be interested in things that are going around campus,” she said. “We try to give them incentives. As far as the Peace Corps, it is a great thing to do, especially in an economy like this.

“They can have an alternative to going to grad school or getting a job. It gives them another option. Regarding the drive and organ bash, I think people just want to help out and give them another option to give to charity to make themselves feel together.”

Wanat said the relationship between PRSSA and its clients is a mutually beneficial one.

“Our members get experience and work that they can use in their portfolio,” he said.

Sherman said PRSSA always is on the lookout for prospective clients.

“We are free of charge,” she said. “I think people that are in PRSSA are real excited about being a part of it and really motivated, and I think we have a lot of great kids involved. We like to take on anything and we also aren’t really picky about the clients that we take, so we are likely to work with anyone to see what we can do for them.”

PRSSA is working on promoting a Nov. 19 Peace Corps informational meeting to be held at 6 p.m. at the Holmes Student Center’s Diversions Lounge.