By Daniella Truong and Grace George (Linsly Sophomores)
Edited By: Colin Kelly and Zach Spurrier (Linsly Seniors)
Weelunk Contributors
Students at Linsly have been donating not only supplies and goods to those in need, but also their time, something just as valuable. Particularly as the holiday season approaches, everyone’s service and communal awareness is crucial. These students have kept themselves busy with athletics, academics, and community service, but they haven’t failed to “serve by example.” By spending time at the Wheeling Soup Kitchen, serving at Continuous Care, investing time in the Key Club, and participating in lesser known Linsly clubs, the student body has repetitively proved its commitment to the greater Wheeling community.
Students and faculty have been given a very rewarding opportunity to volunteer at the Wheeling Soup Kitchen every first and third Wednesday of each month to help serve the less fortunate of our community. On Wednesdays, the Wheeling Soup Kitchen offers a special program just for families with children, called Just For KIDZ. Offering a smile, students volunteering at the Wheeling Soup Kitchen assist in serving food and interacting with children.
Students have also volunteered at Continuous Care, a nursing home near Wheeling Hospital, twice this year, for its annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat and Thanksgiving Dinner. Choir members of the Linsly Lower School will also be offering their time and talents, during the residents’ activity hour on Dec. 9. In February, students will also have the opportunity to serve at Continuous Care’s Spaghetti Dinner. Linsly will continue to have a strong relationship with Continuous Care thanks to the ample amount of students willing to help.
Key Club is a national club, existing throughout most high schools across the country. It was founded on the basis of students getting involved within their school, community, and society. The Linsly Key Club has been involved in various activities ranging from its traditional roles, such as serving at spaghetti dinners to its new initiative for its year-long project: a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The club will be selling T-shirts, which will be on preorder for donations until Christmas; $25 short-sleeve and $30 long-sleeve. There will be a dress-down day once the T-shirts come in January. Colin Kelly, Key Club President, shared his thoughts regarding the “serve by example” theme.
“There are many reasons to buy because many people in the Linsly community have been impacted by cancer, and there will be many other activities in the future to help support the new initiative.”
Other lesser-known clubs that you can join to give your time and donations are Support the Troops and the Children’s Museum Club.
Miss Smith, teacher adviser of Support the Troops, a club that sends Christmas cards, care packages, and Halloween candy to soldiers overseas, comments on her volunteer work: “Service is important and, and our school motto should be applied to all aspects of life.”
Linsly students also participated in other all-school competitions including “Socktober” and the canned food drive, both of which were very successful. For Socktober, new to Linsly this year, 400 pairs of socks were donated to the Youth Services System Winter Freeze Shelter. The eighth-graders led this Linsly giving, and the student body’s charity was severely appreciated. Additionally, Linsly had its annual canned food drive, led by Mrs. Ochap, and collected and donated more than 2,700 non-perishable items to food pantries all over the Ohio Valley. Armed with cans and socks, Linsly students, in an effort to better themselves and the community, rallied together and brought tangible change to those in need.
Whether it’s volunteering at the local soup kitchen or buying a T-shirt to support a noble cause, the importance of the holiday season unquestionably includes lending time to make a difference. Find inspiration in our school motto, “serve by example,” and continue to take it beyond the Linsly walls. Enjoy the holiday season and remember to exert the effort to make a difference in our community.
