The Rotary Club of Westchester is helping to instill the ideals of community service in Westchester’s young adults and has established Interact Clubs at both St. Bernard High School and Westchester High School. These clubs encourage students to become active in helping their community.
Whoever said that today’s young people don’t care about what’s going on has never visited a meeting of the Interact Club at St. Bernard High School or Westchester High School. Sort of a junior Rotary Club, Interactors are high school students dedicated to making their community a better place to live.
The St. Bernard Interact Club has grown from a handful of members in its first year to more than 60 members today. The students volunteer their time and energy to help raise money for worthy causes and learn to go through each day exhibiting the highest level of citizenship and character. With all their energy and enthusiasm, these St. Bernard students can get a lot done, and they do.
Projects undertaken by the St. Bernard group include helping run the Rotary International Foundation Dinner and holding a T.B. clinic at the high school for local teachers, aides and school volunteers. They’ve also worked on the Jet to Jetty run for the Airport Marina Counseling Service, Westchester Senior Citizens Holiday party, El Sauzal Orphanage Christmas Party, Rotary Rose Parade float decorations, Pediatric AIDS benefit dance, the Rotary’s Casino Night, Palm Sunday Pilgrimage and the Rotary used book sale.
“I am so happy that the club has grown so fast and that these students, who have plenty of other activities competing for their time, have opted to sacrifice time that could be spent shopping or hanging out to make a difference in our community,” said Rotary President Jeff Marshak. “The future of our community rests with our students, and if the St. Bernard Interact students are any indication, our future is very, very bright.”
In 1998, a new Interact Club was established at Westchester High School, and those students have already identified a variety of worthwhile causes to work for, including the Mary Magdalene Project, which helps prostitutes get off the street; Project Angel, which collects baby blankets for County USC hospital; and the LAX Food Pantry, which collects food for the needy.
The club’s international projects include collecting food and gifts for developing countries and relief efforts for bombing victims in Kenya and Tanzania. To raise money for these far-flung efforts, the Interact Club plans pancake breakfasts, car washes and other fundraisers.
For more information, please contact: Jim Hill at (310) 641-1279 or jashill90045@yahoo.com. |
