As we approach the beginning of the colder months, it is imperative that communities work to aid and support each other, especially the disadvantaged among us. Many students feel as though they do not have the impact or power to be part of this movement. However, the HOSA blood drive and the StuCo coat drive are two examples of student-led programs that affect the greater community in a positive way.
The president of HOSA, senior Katie Huynh, has been involved with the blood drive every year and is an active member of the FHC community as well as the broader area. Seeing more and more people being interested in her organization and its works, she is able to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
“I know a lot of the HOSA meetings are informational, so it’s mostly a bunch of papers given out to members,” said Huynh. “But when we have meetings with guest speakers or other interactive things, like the blood drive, they can volunteer and they can get hands-on opportunities of what it’s like to be inside the medical field. I really love seeing people be engaged with the activities that we talk about.”
However, for those not interested in health care, there are other organizations that are devoted to the community. The club at our school that exemplifies this best is Student Council, or StuCo, as they have numerous opportunities throughout the course of a year. These include Homecoming, the Special Olympics, the food drive, and the coat drive. For a student, participating in these activities can provide a great amount of experience and excitement.
A major goal of all community service as it pertains to high schoolers is to provide experience that may influence them to continue volunteering in the future. StuCo president, senior Ella Rice, exemplifies service as she has been involved with every part of the club throughout her time in high school.
“It [StuCo] has really impacted me. I’ve helped out a lot with the school and Homecoming every year since freshman year and we help out the community in many ways, like the Special Olympics, the coat drive, and the food drive,” said Rice.
StuCo sponsor, Mrs. Danielle Weber, has become involved very deeply with the FHC community. As a newer teacher, it can be very difficult to acclimate to a new culture and help students be successful in and outside of the classroom.
“It has definitely helped me become very involved with the community, especially with Homecoming and planning the parade and all that kind of stuff,” Weber said. “Having to reach out to various people in the community and also really trying to foster that sense of school spirit has gotten me involved in multiple facets within the school.”
This year, donations are set high for both the blood drive with HOSA and the coat drive with StuCo. For StuCo, Weber has hopes for a hundred coats to be donated, having been given fifty coats last year. As for HOSA, Huynh doesn’t have a specific number of donors she desires, only wanting as many people to come and give blood as possible. Last year, the blood drive was able to have around forty donors, due in part to the efforts of Huynh and her officers.
“I think our society now has put a big focus on individualism, a lot of our society focuses on the every man for themselves aspect,” said Huynh. “Having these social events where people can come and talk with their community and be there for one another is a really good thing that needs to be emphasized.”
