At Jackson-Reed, the holiday season is all about giving back! Throughout November and December, there will be numerous opportunities for JR students to give back to their community through school-affiliated donations and charity drives.
The JR Student Government Association (SGA) hosted their fourth annual canned and boxed food drive from November 12 to November 22, with donations going to the Van Ness Food Pantry. Students brought in canned and boxed food into their 2A classes, where there was an area for the class to drop off their donations. Whichever class donated the most at the end of the drive will receive a pizza party.
November represents “Gratitude Month,” according to SGA teacher sponsor Simona Spicciani. “We need to do activities that express our gratitude, and that is this drive,” she said.
The SGA aims to give their fellow students as many ways as possible to partake in community service at school. “The SGA loves to go beyond the Jackson-Reed community,” said Student Body Vice President Francesca Krevat. “These drives are a great way to remind us what we are thankful for and how we can do more for others.”
“Community is a big part of Jackson Reed’s values,” added Junior Class President Phoenix Hollingsworth. “The SGA wants to expand our reach and resources to the broader community, and I hope students realize the impact that has.”
The SGA will be continuing their charitable efforts throughout December, which is their “Giving Month,” by hosting two more drives at school. The first one is a clothing and toiletry drive for the Harriet Tubman Women’s Shelter, where students can bring in hats, scarves, coats, as well as items like toothbrushes and hand warmers to donate. The second will be a toy drive for kids ages 0-6 at the Columbia Heights Daycare Center.
Also in December, the Athletic Achievement Academy (AAA) will be hosting a pickleball tournament, and Coach Desmond Dunham is hosting a badminton tournament with the Badminton Club. Both tournaments are fundraisers that will be in partnership with the SGA. While not all the charity organizations are finalized, a portion of the money will be going to helping relocate families who have children in hospitals.
“What we are trying to do is bring everyone together within Jackson-Reed and I think the SGA has done a phenomenal job with that,” said Dunham. “We all want to make a difference, and people just need a reason to and some direction.”
