Whether it’s donating to a charity, bringing cans to a food drive or buying gifts for a family in need, the holiday season is all about giving. At Spartanburg High School, many come together to give back to the community through clubs, donating and more. The annual Thanksgiving bags and coat drive are programs that help people in Spartanburg have a Thanksgiving dinner as well as have something to wear during the cold season. Student Council helps DSS fill 500 Thanksgiving bags each year and disperses them in November to local families. Student Council members decorate and bring canned goods, donated from stores like Lidl and Aldi, for the bags. Another valuable project for the season, coats for the coat drive go to citizens within the community at the Soup Kitchen when Student Council visits in November.
Finley Sloan (10) likes being a part of Student Council and being involved at Spartan High.
“I think Student Council is a great thing to have at SHS. It’s a great way to be involved, because I get to be a leader and that is an important quality to possess,” Sloan said.
Interact Club is a service club at Spartan High, and its members are involved in many activities throughout the year. During the holiday season, the members help the Salvation Army raise money by ringing a bell outside of the local Wal-Mart. Along with raising money, the Interact Club “adopts” a family to buy gifts.
Morgan Magruder (12) enjoys being a part of the Interact Club and going to different places around Spartanburg to help others.
“Interact Club has been a great way for me to get involved in my community. My favorite projects we did were volunteering at the animal shelter and making self-care boxes for the residents at Inverness Spartanburg,” Magruder said.
Along with doing the Thanksgiving bags, members of Student Council and interact Club “adopt” a child and their family to buy Christmas gifts for them. Currently, at Spartan High alone, Vikings have committed to helping 65 children and their families this holiday season in the Spartanburg community. Buying gifts like clothes, toys and food helps to give the children a good Christmas experience and something they can remember.
Giving coats to the homeless is a great way to help people in need, but one student wanted to do more to help. Celsa Perkins (12) wanted to give back to the community over the summer and brainstormed many ideas. With time, she thought of the Seeds for Change Homeless Club. Its purpose is to help feed and provide for the homeless year-round, not just during winter. Perkins started with her family and then brought the idea to SHS, and it’s grown from there.
“After starting Seeds for Change, it made me feel empowered and excited. It allows me to pursue my interests., make a positive impact, and build new relationships,” Perkins said.
Spartan High is home to many service clubs and wants to make an impact for the holidays. Creating and joining clubs can make a difference not only at Spartan High but throughout Spartanburg as well. Between bringing canned foods for the Thanksgiving bags, bringing coats for the coat drive or giving time ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, many are impacted and influenced to give during the holiday season.
