CHIMACUM — The Chimacum We Act Club, a service club that works on issues both local and global, was honored in Seattle for its food sharing box, which allows students to take food if they need to and share food if they have a little extra.
“We started it because some people here in Chimacum are in poverty,” said We Act member Lacey Bishop, a sophomore. “So if someone needs it, they can take it or if someone has it, they can share it.”
The We Act Club is part of a larger organization called We Schools.
The Chimacum club was started about four years ago as a middle school club.
“Most of the students have been with us since then,” said club adviser Piper Diehl.
Currently, the club boasts 20 high school members and 30 in the middle school.
The high school club has been running the Food4All program for about two years and was honored at We Day, a gathering of service clubs in Washington, in Seattle in April.
Students are invited to We Day based on their services provided in the past year.
“Basically, the students have to earn their way in,” Diehl said.
The Chimacum group was invited this year based on their service, and one student, sophomore Renee Woods, was selected to represent the Chimacum club and present its Food4All program.
“They [We Schools] are always looking for unique ways to give back,” Diehl said. “They felt this was an easy thing for schools to start.”
After the presentation, the club received a $10,000 check from Walgreens to help buy more food for the program. This is on top of donations already made by the Backpacks4Kids group in Chimacum.
According to Lacey, the students hope to expand the program so it will be available in Chimacum Middle School, local libraries and the teen center.
However, that isn’t the only We Act Club project in progress.
This year, members are making “We Care” bags, which are full of toiletries, hand warmers and rain gear, to be given to homeless youths in the area.
“It’s basically just things that homeless adults or children can use,” Lacey said.
She added that club members are always looking for more donations, especially for such items as socks and rain ponchos, which can be dropped off at the Chimacum High School office at 91 West Valley Road.
Students have been dropping bags off at the Boiler Room at 711 Water St. in Port Townsend.
“The Boiler Room seemed to be the best place since it caters to teens, but we’re still trying to figure out the most accessible place,” Diehl said.
The students also have organized food drives for the Tri-Area Food Bank, often cooperating with service clubs from Port Townsend High School to make it a bit of a competition.
For their global project, the club has spent the past five years raising donations for projects in Haiti that promote access to food, water, health care and programs to help people grow their own food and find alternative income options.
Diehl said next year the club plans to promote similar programs in another country.
________
Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
