Service Week

Ayaan Ekram| ’20-’21 Vice-President

This past month has been one of the most difficult that we have experienced as a nation. The Covid-19 Virus has caused our school to close and all our activities to be cancelled. This year, we have no prom, no Open House, and no International Day. However, Whitney Key Club refuses to let this virus stop us from serving the community. From April 20-24, Whitney Key Club hosted its very first at-home service week. We were able to promote the health of the community, spread positivity in a saddening time, and express thankfulness to those around us. On Monday, April 20, the first day of service week began and members of Whitney Key Club were asked to use materials they had at home to make masks. Some people used scarves, shirts, socks, and other pieces of clothing to make masks for their entire family. This activity helped members prevent the spread of diseases by covering their mouths. By simply creating masks for their families, Whitney Key Club members were taking a step to protect the health of themselves, their families, and their communities. Another option for this day was to make calls to nursing homes. People living in nursing homes during this time get minimal contact, so by calling nursing homes, members were able to bring happiness to the elderly of the community. During this time, teachers are working extra hard, learning how to teach us virtually. As always, teachers rarely get the appreciation they truly deserve. Therefore, on Tuesday, members were asked to film videos for their teachers to express their gratitude for all the hard work and dedication their teachers have had throughout this entire year. This event has allowed for a huge compilation of teacher appreciation videos to be created, giving teachers the gratitude they deserve. Wednesday was a more open activity. During this time of sadness and isolation, everyone could use a little bit more positivity. As a result, on Wednesday, members were asked to spread positivity through social media. This day was extremely special. Members posted pictures of their friends with heartwarming messages, inspiring quotes, and encouraging notes telling people to stay safe and positive during this period of time.

Thursday was another day to show our thankfulness. During this pandemic, first responders, nurses, restaurant workers, and more are working hard to serve our communities despite the potential harm they may be putting themselves in. Nevertheless, they continue to work every day in order to ensure we are safe, healthy, and fed. Therefore, by making cards and posters for these amazing people, members showed their gratitude for the true heroes of this time. Lastly, on Friday, members were asked to answer questions on freerice.com. For every question answered correctly on freerice.com, the website donates 10 grains of rice to those in need. Each member was asked to answer at least 50 questions in order to donate at least 500 grains of rice. Even though members cannot leave their homes, they can still feed those in need abroad through this website. Service Week this month was a huge success. It proved that the Coronavirus will not stop Key Clubbers from working hard to change the world for the better, in any way possible. I encourage all those who have missed out on this opportunity to participate in any other service project at home during this quarantine. It is an amazing way to pass the time and help those who are in need.