In order to help children in need get the food they require, students at Berkley High School are uniting to make a difference through the newly launched “Youth Empowerment Group”, which extends their positivity beyond their members, impacting the wider community.
Founded by Junior Alex Sims, The Youth Empowerment Group is a new club at BHS focused on volunteering and fundraising for Kids Coalition Against Hunger (KCAH), a nonprofit organization focused on addressing child hunger and food insecurity. Sims explains, “Our goal is to raise $3,500 throughout the year which funds meal kits for hungry children. Our club would then use its volunteers to assemble the kits.” Sims explained how they plan to reach their goal, saying, “We are working towards meeting our goal by doing a lot of fundraising. The one currently going on is the charity swim meet. The one currently in the books is a bake sale!”
She also shares how the club came to be, stating, “Over the summer I went to a youth leadership program called HOBY. This is a program that I learned through BHS. Our service project at HOBY was to assemble 10,000 meal kits for Kids Coalition Against Hunger. Not only was it a great team-building experience, but we felt good about contributing to the local communities to help kids.”
New to BHS this year, the Youth Empowerment Group has already attracted 72 members and established a strong board of members. When discussing the types of students typically involved, Sims explained, “The students that are typically involved are NHS (National Honor Society) students who are excited to get their volunteer hours or underclassmen who are looking to volunteer for something meaningful.” She also highlighted the club’s upcoming activities, stating, “Our first event is a charity swim meet between the girl’s swim team and the boy’s soccer team. We have volunteers who will be timing the events and assisting with the meet. Additionally, we plan to organize bake sales throughout the year to raise money.”
Sims emphasized the positive impact on club members, saying, “I think our members will benefit from doing something meaningful while also working toward feeding hungry children.” Regarding collaboration with other clubs at BHS, she added, “Yes, we are collaborating with the girls swim and dive team and the boys soccer team. We have other ideas for collaboration in the future, so stay tuned.”
Leading a new club can be challenging, and Sims reflects on how this experience has impacted her leadership skills, saying, “It has taken a lot of work to get this club going, including many meetings with faculty members. We have also been in contact with (KACH), so that has taught us perseverance. Coordinating and communicating with club members has also taken additional skill sets that we have been building on.”
The Youth Empowerment Club is taking steps at BHS with its mission to support the Kids Coalition Against Hunger. With a dedicated team with clear goals, the club is sure to inspire both its members and the community to fight against child hunger.
