Hands on Helping is a volunteer club that embodies the spirit of compassion and community service.
Club members hope to make a positive impact by engaging in a variety of charitable activities.
“Our mission is to help the community and get others involved to give back for all we have been given,” co-founder Arianna Preston said.
This club was founded at the end of last school year by seniors Arianna Preston, Rowena Cherian and David You with math teacher Jeff Luce. Although the club is new, they already have around 60 members.
The students decided to start this club because there was nothing like it before at Beachwood. They wanted to be able to provide volunteer opportunities to those in need of volunteer hours and to make an impact on the school and community. While all of the co-founders are seniors, they hope to make sure that the club continues long after they graduate.
Our goals are to touch lives and make a difference in our community.
— Co-Founder Rowena Cherian
“We want to help not only the community but students at our school,” Preston said.
They also want to encourage active participation from their members, raise awareness about the issues that they volunteer for and ensure the long-term sustainability of the club.
“Our goals are to touch lives and make a difference in our community,” Cherian said.
The club has given back through many volunteer events already including handing out fresh fruits and vegetables at a local church, helping with field day at Hilltop Elementary and helping turn a patch of land into a neighborhood garden.
The four founders plan and attend all events.
“We look around the [greater Cleveland] community and try to find volunteer opportunities,” You said. “We just try to do as much as we can.
The club regularly volunteers at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank Mobile Pantry Produce Pick Up at First Baptist Church. These events are held once a month, starting in May and ending in October. Hands on Helping club members have attended all six events and have helped over 300 families.
Their main job at these events is to assemble bags with different types of fruits and vegetables and then hand them out to attending families. The club members say they always gain something from the experience.
Even though it was a lot of work, it was worth it because we helped many people.
— Co-Founder David You
“Volunteering at First Baptist Church has such a positive impact on our group, we leave the church feeling so fulfilled,” Preston said. “It is so nice to give back to our community for all we have been given.”
Another event that they have helped with is field day at Hilltop Elementary School this past May. About 10 members of the club showed up to help. Their jobs were to paint kids’ nails, supervise the dunk tank and tug of war and make snow cones.
“We were so happy to help out the kids and teachers, and we also had a lot of fun,” senior Straja Dimitrijevic said.
The group visited a community garden in May and again in October to plant fruits and vegetables for the community. They put down mulch, tore down weeds and planted vegetables.
“Even though it was a lot of work, it was worth it because we helped many people,” You said.
Luce agreed to advise the club because he feels passionately about what they do.
“I decided to be the club adviser because I was approached by students I liked and respected, and because it was something I believe is important,” he said.
Volunteering at First Baptist Church has such a positive impact on our group, we leave the church feeling so fulfilled. It is so nice to give back to our community for all we have been given.
— Co-Founder Arianna Preston
Another event they helped out with was the family kindness festival, held at BHS in late April. The family kindness festival is for the whole community and is meant to spread kindness. Club members helped children to make crafts, direct people to where they needed to go and gave out ice cream. They all had a great time.
“It was so great to help and spread kindness to the community,” You said.
There has also been a positive reaction from the community and from students at BHS. Many people want to join the club because it provides a positive environment with many opportunities to earn volunteer hours.
Students who are looking for a volunteer club that provides an opportunity to give back with a supportive and compassionate community should contact founding members Arianna Preston, Rowena Cherian or David You or adviser Jeff Luce.
There will be many more volunteer opportunities in the future.
