About 60 students spent three hours at school during the Martin Luther King holiday on Jan. 20 participating in various service activities. The event was coordinated with on-campus clubs and outside organizations. Sophomore Dhriya Darji, who volunteered at the Magic Yarn station both this year and last, said that the experience was incredibly fulfilling.
There were four volunteering opportunities available to students. For campus beautification, students either painted recycling bins or cleaned around the cafeteria. Students could also choose to volunteer with Magic Yarn, Lasagna Love and Martha’s Kitchen. The latter two involved making three-layer lasagnas and creating snack packs respectively, which would then be donated through the two organizations.
Principal Greg Louie oversaw students who opted to volunteer in front of the cafeteria. The area was hosed down and paper towels were used to clean debris.
Just outside of Hyde Park, students worked on painting several recycling bins to add a pop of color to the school campus.
In the student center, students worked with adult volunteers from Magic Yarn, a nonprofit focused on providing character-themed wigs and beanies for cancer patients, to prepare yarn that will be used in those wigs.
“It was fun and relaxing while being able to do something good to help,” Darji said.
Students took their time to ensure that the yarn was properly fastened.
In the back of the student center, students packed snack kits for Martha’s Kitchen, which provides food to those in need. Bags of gummies, popcorn and trail mix went into ziploc bags, which were then placed into large plastic containers to be sent over to those who need it.
Just outside of health teacher Amy Obenour’s classroom, students worked as an assembly line to put together lasagna trays. From boiling the pasta to layering cheese and sauce to finally packaging these hearty trays, students ensured that each lasagna was ready for the oven.
By spending a few hours of their MLK day weekend on helping their community, the student volunteers earned school service hours but also contributed to their community in a small way with a big impact.
“I volunteered because I love the idea of being able to bring joy and help kids who are suffering and don’t deserve that,” Darji said.
