By The Shamrock Newspaper Staff
On Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Kennedy High participated in the sixth annual AUHSD Servathon, where students from all over the district give back to their communities through volunteer work. Nearly 150 students came to campus on their day off to celebrate community service.
Key Club, NHS, Best Buddies, CSF - Kyra Weiss, Peyton Cleaver, Joshua Cheng
Members of Key Club, National Honor Society, Best Buddies, and the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) at Kennedy High all participated in a schoolwide cleanup.
“I believe I have to be the change our world needs,” Key Club Vice President Tiffany Nguyen said.
Within just an hour, buckets and bags of trash filled up, making the campus cleaner. Their work was not over yet, however. They continued to work until noon to make their difference on the campus.
“What inspired me to participate in the Servathon was to give back to my community. I feel like it's my turn to give back on this day and make my campus a cleaner place,” California Scholarship Federation President Serena Trinh said.
Thanks to their hard work the school is a better, more beautiful place.
Educators Rising - Dominique Prado
For Servathon, Educators Rising wanted to give back in ways that reflected their purpose, so they spent their morning making little treats for teachers around campus to show their appreciation.
̈ It's more about the people who are interested in the field of education, it makes sense because it aligns with what we're doing,” club adviser Kimberly Idio said.
The Kennedy Strong Podcast - Francis Munoz
While many were picking up trash during Servathon, the Kennedy Strong Podcast spent their hours documenting all the hard work that clubs did. The group went around interviewing different clubs participating in Servathon to share how students were helping the community.
As head of the social media team, sophomore Vanessa Iwaki took photos of the event. At the same time, juniors Reyna Ontiveros and Jacqueline Carter bounced between the different organizations and interviewed the members and advisers.
TSA - Marielena McDermott, Jakob Salao
Technology Student Association (TSA) made lunches for runaway teens at Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos.
“I feel like we’re given so much, that it feels good to finally give back for once,” junior Vince Hong said.
Within each lunch, the club members also put a hand-crafted origami creatures, ranging from dogs to “the Child,” referred to by fans as “Baby Yoda,” from the Disney+ show “The Mandalorian.” The club members hoped that the little origami creations would bring a spark of joy to teens at the shelter.
UNICEF - Shayla Parker
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) participated in Servathon by preparing their annual hygiene kits for the homeless. The club aimed to put together a minimum of 150 bags filled with socks, feminine products, hand sanitizer, and granola bars.
UNICEF has turned the kits into somewhat of a tradition under the belief that it’s the best way to achieve their goal.
“Our overall goal is to advocate for the voiceless and provide sanctuary for others,” UNICEF President Minhaj Gumma said.
Once the supplies were gathered, they were brought on the day of Servathon to be separated by material and then organized in kits. The club did not deliver directly to the homeless, but instead donated the kits to shelters.
Mr. Howe - Melissa Peralta
Assistant Principal Jeffrey Howe has led the annual AUHSD Servathon since the tradition began. He was happy to lead the event another year.
“It’s a worthy cause, it’s getting to work with the students in a different light,” Howe said. “You get to work with them and see the kindness and the charity that our students actually have.”
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