The rich aroma of freshly made tomato sauce, briny pasta noodles and baked cheese filled the buzzing kitchen this past July, toward the end of the month, as National Honor Society (NHS) volunteers prepared 10 trays of lasagna to feed to the underprivileged through Lasagna Love — a nonprofit connecting volunteer chefs with families in need, providing them with homemade lasagnas.
The club, which returned to the school this spring, has already hosted several volunteering events starting last semester.
NHS is a national organization of over 1.4 million members that recognizes and rewards high school students who show excellence in four main pillars: leadership, scholarship, community service and character. Many schools have an NHS chapter started by faculty advisers and student groups. The school’s chapter is led by senior co-presidents Ava Cai and Dahyun Kim, senior vice president Diya Ravi, junior secretary Ian Hu and junior treasurer Sam Roh.
The club’s goal is to provide an outlet for students to participate and qualify for service-based national recognition. Through various service projects, students have the chance to make a significant difference in their community, from hosting community clean-ups to donating essentials to homeless shelters.
“We were motivated to start NHS because many schools have an NHS chapter,” Cai said. “We wanted to provide Saratoga students with that same opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and excellence.”
Around 20 to 30 members attend the club’s meetings during lunch on Blue Day Tuesdays in history teacher Amanda Lupoli’s room. Each meeting, officers go over the NHS curriculum provided to them by the NHS rulebook, then introduce volunteer opportunities and events to members. Members then fill out an interest form and sign up for any events they want to participate in.
The club has hosted several volunteering events in the community, such as collaborating with organizations like Sacred Heart, helping sort clothing for those in need and preparing lasagna to feed the homeless with Lasagna Love.
For Martin Luther King Day next semester, the club plans to reuse last year’s model and host an event in partnership with The Magic Yarn Project, where volunteers help craft yarn wigs catered to young cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Wigs are also made for youth with medical conditions like alopecia or trichotillomania, where hair loss occurs. The process of crocheting the wigs involves weaving yarn around wooden planks with raised poles, then cutting and shaping the yarn into finished, character-themed wigs which are gifted to children with cancer.
“Participating in our club shows academic excellence since we’re an honor society,” Cai said. “It’s also a great opportunity to get volunteer hours, so being part of NHS is a kind of a two-in-one experience.”
