FITCHBURG — When assistance is required, you can be sure the Helping Hands Community Service Club at the high school will be there to help.
The student-led club continues to help people in need.
“I have such a nice group of students,” said Fitchburg High history teacher and club adviser Cristina Manto. “They do have big hearts and are always trying to think of ways to do something good to give back to the community. I can also say that they are a very enthusiastic group, always laughing and willing to do whatever it takes to get things done.”
Helping Hands is a club that is dedicated to improving the Fitchburg community through service. As a member, students learn life lessons as leaders who can make a difference. They take an active role in their own community by helping the club raise funds, look into other charitable organizations that enable them to make a difference in the Fitchburg schools, the community and elsewhere.
“Being selfless is such a great quality, especially in today’s world,” Manto said. “Having this club makes everything better and it gives me hope because students are being selfless and think of others in need instead of themselves. This in itself is a great quality that they can take with them once they are out of high school.
“Maybe they can look back at how having gratitude and helping others in need made them feel empowered that they can make a difference in someone else’s life? Hopefully, they can continue to keep giving back when they are out of high school and out in the real world.”
The Helping Hands Community Service Club’s latest initiative is collecting new or gently used shoes and clothing that will be donated to the “Soles for Souls” organization.
The students collected these items throughout the month of February.
“Being in the Helping Hands Club makes you feel like a better person overall because of how I can help the community and bring everyone together and bringing more positivity to more people in Fitchburg,” said Jennifer Le, a sophomore at FHS. “I hope to make a very positive and life-changing impact.”
Eric Pineda, another sophomore, said he’s also passionate about being involved in the club because he likes helping others in need.
“You don’t know what other people are going through; we need to realize that other people are in need of stuff we have and that we don’t use,” he said. “Giving them everything makes us feel happy.”
According to Soles4Souls, soles4souls.org, they “turn unwanted shoes and clothing into opportunity, by keeping them from going to waste and putting them to good use – providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty.”
“I’m involved in this club because I want to help others and try to improve their lives in some way by helping and donating stuff to them,” said freshman Luz Gomez. “I hope to make a positive impact and help others to see that by helping others it can improve their life and change their perspective of things.”
Manto said the donations continue to roll in.
“Of course I always expect more, but the faculty and students in the building have been so kind and generous,” she said.
The club first started its collection of items for the Raider Market in October for students who are homeless. From November to mid-December, the club collected 75 new toys that were donated to Toys for Tots, along with collecting for a Hat and Mitten Drive of 201 items that were donated to the elementary schools after Christmas vacation.
“I think the most impactful collection was gathering hats and mittens,” Pineda said, “especially going to the elementary schools we got to see the looks of the happy teachers and staff because some students really want them and need them.”
Added freshman Envy Lor: “The most impact is the hat and mitten drive because it helps kids stay warm.”
On Dec. 20, Fitchburg High had a craft fair and the students made homemade ornaments and other holiday goods and sold them. The students then went around asking for donations and made a total of $146. The students are thinking of other fundraisers to add to this money, and at the end of the year they will choose what to do with the money and which organization(s) to donate to.
Manto is hopeful that these experiences will be life changing for her students in the club.
“I’m hopeful it will make students feel good about themselves and to realize that regardless of their circumstances, there is always someone who is worse off than they are,” she said. “ I also hope that students realize that giving back is their civic duty — to do the right things.”
2020-02-29 11:10:34Z
https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/always-willing-to-lend-a-hand
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