MHS gives back during the holidays, raising over $3000
January 11, 2023
Reporter references: Kendall Richardson, Sameeksha Panda, Sofia Vernacchio
As our halls fill with holiday spirit, MHS students and staff work together to give back to our local community. Many clubs have stepped forward, organizing drives and events to benefit a variety of causes.
Student Council held a food drive from Dec. 1-9. Collecting non-perishable foods from homerooms, Student Council boosted donations with a prize: donuts to the homeroom that donated the most (with an incredible 1,212 points, the tasty prize went to Mr. Chapin’s class). Proceeds from the drive, over 1000 items, went to local families during the holiday season.
Elizabeth Rhodes, President of Student Council, said “Even the littlest bit means so much to someone who needs it. It’s something we as student council love to do to help benefit our local families in every way we can.”
MHS Key Club held a bake sale on Dec. 3 at Bustard’s Christmas Trees. The members baked the goods themselves, and spent a cold but spirited morning selling them to Bustard’s shoppers and employees. With brownies, cookies, cupcakes, pumpkin bread, and more, it was clear that Key Club worked hard to make this sale happen. They raised over $400 for Operation Christmas Spirit, a project supporting military personnel and families during the holiday season.
Key Club Secretary Aayati Patel said, “I love the cause we’re supporting, and I like how many club members decided to spend their time baking baked goods for us to sell!”
The MHS She’s the First Club held a Tie-Dye Trivia Night on Dec. 9. This year, the club took their tie-dye shirt event, an annual tradition, to the next level, with a large trivia game featuring famous women in history, influential female artists/musicians, and movies starring female leads. In one half of the room, people bought and tie-dyed their STF T-shirts, while snacks and five rounds of trivia ran on the other side. With almost 30 people attending, the club raised over $100 in profit for the She’s the First international campaign supporting women’s education.
Shrinija Dandibhotla, Co-president of the She’s the First club, said, “We are excited to share the message of our club with our fellow students and community more going forward. We thank everyone who came to our event and for making it even better than we imagined!”
The Multicultural Club sold holiday candles during the week of Dec. 12. Members spent several days after school crafting in Ms. An’s room, using a variety of scents and colors. From snickerdoodle to dulce de leche to candy cane, there were candles available to meet anyone’s tastes. Producing over 150 candles, the club made more than $1,000 for Manna on Main Street, an organization helping feed the hungry in North Penn and Phoenixville.
Ananya Shrivastava, President of the Multicultural club, said, “Candle sales were the best I’ve seen since freshman year. Our team’s advertising, like our Clash of the Candles bracket on Instagram, really helped. A big thank you to all the teachers and students who bought candles!”
The National Art Honor Society, working with several other clubs, organized the first-ever Methacton Merry Market on Dec.13. In this newest MHS holiday idea, the Merry Market was a lively event selling handmade holiday crafts to students. The market offered everything from pottery to handmade pens to cookie dough balls. Selling along with the NAHS was the Black Student Union, Helping Paws, Class Congress of 2025 and Best Buddies. Making over $700 from their sales alone, NAHS will be directing their proceeds to the Methacton Backpack Program which helps disadvantaged MHS students get free/reduced lunches and meals for the weekends. NAHS’s proceeds will also go to the Memory Project, a program that sends handmade art to youth around the world facing challenges.
NAHS President Nora Alaishuski, who had the original idea for the Merry Market, said, “We were really successful and I’m excited to do it again next year. It’s cool to me that I might have started a tradition that will continue after I graduate.”
The National Honor Society held a clothing and toiletries drive from Nov. 21 to Dec. 16. Collecting items like winter coats, gloves, scarves, period supplies and toiletries, the NHS encouraged MHS to “Share the Warmth” with families and individuals in need this holiday season. They sent 10-12 full bags of donations to people in poverty via Mitzvah Circle, a local charity. The club also supported a local family through the Adopt-A-Family program by buying and wrapping presents for their adopted family.
Elena Chaya, NHS President, described the drive as “a huge success.”
Habitat for Humanity held their annual Gingerbread Night on Dec. 16. At this popular MHS event, students and the community sat down together to build gingerbread houses in a room full of holiday cheer. There was a photobooth, holiday music, refreshments, our very own Buddy the Elf (senior Ethan Bernhardt), and even a visit from Santa (MHS alum Liam Grob)! With almost 100 people attending, the club raised over $800 for Habitat for Humanity, an organization helping build affordable housing in communities all over the world.
Melanie Cohen, Co-President of Habitat for Humanity, called it “the culmination of what we aspire to bring as individuals and members of this club.”
Kids Against Crisis held a donation drive collecting children’s necessities from Nov. 16 until Dec. 19. They collected clothing, school/art supplies, toys, baby gear and more in support of Cradles to Crayons, a national organization supplying these products to children and fighting children’s clothing insecurity. Their collections surpassed expectations, filling two cars.
Anna Rozinsky, Treasurer of Kids against Crisis, said, “This is our second year doing the drive, and it seems to be doing better than last year. We had a lot more publicity this year so I think that did help with our turnout.”
MHS Best Buddies ran an edible cookie dough sale until Dec. 16. Getting cookie dough from Sweet Treats by Lisa, they sold 68 jars and made $272. Their profits, double that of last year’s, are being split between Best Buddies, an international organization supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and So Much to Give Inclusive Café.
Jack Winters, Treasurer of Best Buddies, said, “The biggest challenge was getting the message out about this, but it’s really good to see the school giving back to our club and our mission.”
But it wasn’t just clubs supporting the community. On Dec. 16, the teacher dress down day ran in support of So Much to Give Inclusive Cafe. This new restaurant was created and now runs by the work of many Methacton grads and current students, including Kathy Opperman and manager Maureen Stanko creator, as well as manger Tyler Kammerle manager. The restaurant aims to provide a safe place of inclusivity in dining, employment, and socializing.
Methacton is full of passion and charity this holiday season, and it definitely shows. Together, the organizations in this article raised almost $3,300 in cash for their causes, not to mention the many items gathered in their donation drives.
