Clubs Strive for Positive Impact in Community
Kicks to Give Club Members joining together for their first meeting of the year. Members donate soccer equipment and write cards for children in Africa.
This school year, San Juan Hills has nearly 300 clubs on campus. By joining clubs, students have the opportunity to be involved in the school community and meet people who have similar interests.
Of all the different kinds of clubs, many are non-profit organizations. Kicks2give, led by junior Zakiah Sesay, is one non-profit club on campus that gathers gently used soccer equipment to ship to all parts of Africa.
“It’s good to help people and get outside of your bubble, just to learn more about life in general. I think it’s a great learning experience for life,” said Sesay.
Students don’t need to play soccer to get involved in Kicks2give. During their club meetings, students make cards of encouragement to go inside gift bags, along with soccer equipment, to donate to children in Africa. The club also gathers to brainstorm new ideas on how to get more individuals to donate.
“Each club targets a different audience at our school. I feel like Kicks2give is different because it directly impacts people outside of our school and in other countries. We do things outside of school that help people thousands of miles away, ” said Sesay.
Another volunteer club at SJHHS, Interact, is intent on providing volunteer opportunities for students. Some of their past events include collecting food for veterans in their annual thanksgiving drive, marching with Avid at the Festival of Whales Parade in San Juan Capistrano, wrapping Christmas presents for less fortunate local families, and much more. Led by Co President, Emma Scholz, the organization has made a name for itself as one of the largest clubs at SJHHS. “Volunteering gives you new gratitude for others in your community,” said Scholz. “Giving back to your community helps you find qualities about yourself that you didn’t know.”
One of Interact’s latest projects was Bike Stravaganza, a fundraising event aimed at teaching kids how to ride bikes. The charity event also featured a bike obstacle course and a raffle to win new bicycles.
“Students interested in joining can follow Interact’s Remind or Instagram. We also have meetings every first and third Thursday of the month in the theatre conference room,” said Scholz.
These are only a few of the multitude of volunteer clubs at SJHHS. Skills learned through nonprofit organizations, such as leadership, commitment, and effective communication, are beneficial for future careers. Utilizing an organization to positively impact one’s community is a great first step towards making a difference.
If you want to get involved in either of these clubs you can follow them on their Instagram: @kicks2givesjhhs and @sjhhs_interact.
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