On Saturday, Oct. 21, the Red Devil Service Club hosted their annual Day of Service. Club members participated in activities such as volunteering at libraries and humane societies, making scarves and writing cards. 

The club prioritizes service to the greater Hinsdale Central community, teaching students the importance of helping their community.

“The Day of Service is so important to teach us the principles of giving and unity in the community,” said Ella Parker-Briones, junior. “It brings us together to do something important to make change.”

The community benefits on this day from the assistance they receive from student volunteers, and students benefit from the inner community formed within the club.

“The less fortunate community gets what they need, and it also helps student volunteers bond,” said Morgan Mehroff, junior.

Sara Pendergrass, assistant director of special education, and Lisa Sopiarz, family and consumer sciences teacher, are the club sponsors for the Red Devil Service Club and have helped create the history behind the Day of Service.

“This is the seventh year that we’ve run [the] Day of Service,” Pendergrass said. “It was born out of an idea that Mrs. Phillip, our activities director, had from some other schools that she has worked with who have done similar events.”

The planning process for the Day of Service begins early in the year, with the sponsors making the arrangements.

“We actually start planning the Day of Service the spring prior, so we always identify the date and reserve spots at certain volunteer organizations very early on,” Pendergass said. 

In the past, many students who participated in the Day of Service stayed back at Central to volunteer at school.

“Fortunately, this year, we had enough adult support that we could send everyone where they needed to go,” Pendergrass said. “Historically, we’ve had some more projects [where] we’ve held kids back [at] Central so that we could still give them the opportunity to volunteer but maybe not in a community setting.”

While the Day of Service is only once a year, students believe that it can be beneficial for them to participate in other volunteer activities throughout the year. 

“It’s so important for teens to do community service to learn how to give back to the communities that have raised them,” Parker-Briones said. 

For more information regarding the Red Devil Service club, please click here.