By Aditi Dahagam, Staff Reporter
Two of the service clubs at ’Stoga, ECHOES and Key Club, have participated in giving back to the community and organizations during the Thanksgiving season to show their appreciation for what they have.
Key Club
Key Club is a service club part of a larger international organization that allows students to volunteer around their school and community. Members attend events at not only other schools in the district, but places such as the YMCA, Wayne Art Center, Wilson Farm Park and more.
Key Club readily provides students with information about volunteer opportunities that they might not be able to receive elsewhere. Junior Johnny Kim, Community Chairman of Key Club, believes it is important for students to have an opportunity to volunteer through school clubs and for them to take the opportunity to do so.
“It is crucial to give back because there might be those who are in need of help and it helps to build a stronger community,” Kim said.
This year, Key Club helped at the Thanksgiving Pies and Desserts culinary event at the Wayne Art Center. During the event, members helped the administrators move around the baked gods and make sure that the children didn’t hurt themselves. Members were able to enjoy a tradition of the holiday as well as experience the meaning behind it—giving back.
“Thanksgiving means to appreciate what you have received and thank those who have helped you, while trying to help others who are in need as best as you can,” Kim said.
ECHOES
This club is part of a larger organization which aims to help kids get a full education and fulfill their education while staying healthy. At ’Stoga, ECHOES focuses on a program called Project Ensonga which provides girls in Uganda with a hygiene kit that contains feminine sanitary supplies.
At Cornucopia this year, the club set up a workshop to make the hygiene kits. At the beginning of the workshop, a few adults part of ECHOES explained the purpose of the organization. Afterwards, students were able to participate in sewing bags and adding the sanitary items to the kits.
“We felt that a workshop would be most effective because we could sell something, but that isn’t getting the hands-on experience most people like,” club president Ainsley Payne said. “I feel like it called more people into the room to help.”
Payne thinks it is important to give back because the T/E community has much opportunity to. One of her main goals through the club is to be able to provide people in western Africa something to be thankful for.
“I’m thankful for everything I have, therefore I give back to give other people a reason to be thankful. It gives me a good feeling inside to help out and to see other people benefiting from what I do,” Payne said.
Aditi Dahagam can be reached at [email protected]
