Community Council organized service-related activities for every day of the week from Dec. 9 to 13.
To start Community Service Week, the council held a non-profit fair Monday where clubs and organizations advertised community service opportunities. Wednesday’s activity involved making care kits and writing letters to soldiers as part of the community service project Operation Gratitude, and on Thursday students made bracelets for Camp Harmony and ran a bake sale raising money for hygiene kits for homeless students.
On the final day, students made sandwiches for the St. Francis Center, which serves homeless and low income locals, and painted welcome signs for the Habitat for Humanity club.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for people to get involved and it’s a lot less boring than normal activities fair because you have people actually interacting rather than just giving out candy,” Students Taking on Poverty Club founder Elizabeth Goran ’15 said. “It’s actually related to the activity.”
Featured outside of school organizations at the fair included City Year and Meals on Wheels. A representative from City Year told students about giving a year between high school and college or college and graduate school to tutor public school students with a high risk of dropping out. With Meals on Wheels, students can volunteer to serve the disabled and elderly meals for a nominal price.
The fair was the first fair exclusively for service-oriented organizations and clubs. Community Council member Cosima Elwes ’15 said the council had decided on the fair thinking it might be helpful for students to be able to sign up for a number of community service clubs in one place.
During Tuesday’s junior class meeting, a representative from March of the Living spoke about a trip to Poland and Israel that students can take to remember those affected by the Holocaust, and Community Council showed a video promoting the new 12-hour community service requirement for the year that represented time spent using dimes. Freddy Chavez, who works for Homeboy Industries, a program that works with previously gang-involved or incarcerated individuals, spoke about his experiences as a gang member and how his life changed when his two children were born.
The reception that followed in Chalmers lounge included Homeboy Industries shirts for sale and samples of the baked goods they produce.
At senior class meeting Wendesday, a volunteer from Operation Grattiude visited and spoke about opportunities to help those serving abroad. The representative from March of the Living also showed a video and outlined the trip.
