From volunteering at food banks to partnering with local organizations to raise awareness about their cause, Burlingame students are dedicating their time to helping others. And with the holiday season approaching, a significant time for volunteering, more and more people are looking for ways to help their communities.
In English classes this past week, students may have noticed the Thanksgiving food drive bins filled with canned goods. Organized by the Students In Action/Interact Club and led by junior President Lindsey Kwok, the drive is the result of [three weeks] of planning in collaboration with the English department, leadership, and Burlingame’s Service Commission.
“Thanksgiving [is] when we see a lot of engagement in our club because people are starting to think about what ways they can give thanks to our community…,” Kwok said. “[This] is part of why we started the food drive and other hunger initiatives in the school.”
As a club, they work in tandem regularly with organizations like the Rotary Foundation, Multiplying Good and the Burlingame Public Library.
“Not a lot of people know what Rotary is, but they lead a lot of humanitarian efforts around the world. They were one of the organizations that helped to eradicate polio around the world, so that inspired me to think about how can I impact service in our school specifically.”
Kwok said her experience in volunteering has shaped her perspective on her community and the role people play in creating change.
“The way I see different situations, like how things are organized, everybody has a role in everything,” Kwok said. “It just makes the world less black and white for me.”
Similarly, junior Ting Ting Wang is president of Burlingame’s Key Club chapter, with core values of service, fundraising, community, and leadership.
On Nov. 16, Key Club hosted their first Safeway food drive of the season in partnership with other San Mateo County Key Clubs to raise awareness and get donations for the organization. They hosted the event in partnership with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).
“Every year, Key Club collaborates with nourishing neighbors NBC, and we volunteer at maybe five Safeways…,” Wang said. “The drive [is for] impoverished or some people who don’t have any food for Christmas [or the holidays].”
Wang and other members stood in front of Safeway and encouraged shoppers to donate to their cause. They handed out barcodes, flyers, and information to passersby.
A common challenge among student volunteers was the need for more helpers, particularly during the busy holiday season. Senior Stepan Leontev emphasized that while the holidays may see an increase in community events, finding enough volunteers to staff them can be difficult.
“We actually need more people volunteering during this season because [events] get more popular during this time,” Leontev said.
Sophomore Justin Wan, second harvest volunteer advises students considering volunteering to reflect on their passions to find meaningful opportunities.
“I think it’s really important that you’re volunteering for something you actually enjoy,” Wan said. “If you’re just doing something you don’t like, you’re not going to look forward to it. Looking forward to it is a really important thing so you can have fun while also contributing to society.”
