Most of us, in one way or another, want the best for our community and society. Some of us take the extra mile and actually take action to change the world for the better, one step at a time. That is exactly what a few students at West High have done. Seniors Komal Thind and Kayla Goldsby were the co-founders of a branch of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in our school.

As seniors, we have little time left at West High and we want to make the best of that time. “I was inspired to form such a club so I could bring something new to West before I leave,” said Thind. UNICEF, a nonprofit organization, allows students to take part in many events throughout their school year. The club is participating in the Fall Festival and Trick or Treat for the month of October. Each month the club have a different theme to work with. Thind said, “With UNICEF the amount of activities you’re able to do are endless.”

The club provides a way for our students not only to have fun, but also impact the world just by going to school. The money collected from their activities is used by UNICEF to provide the necessary aid for those in need. “Not only does it benefit UNICEF, but it also gives a great representation of our school.”

In the world outside of ours, the other world, the one we choose to turn a blind eye towards, there are many, many children beginning at the age of 2 who are desperately trying to search for food, shelter and basic necessities. Thind said, “I’ve seen these issues with my own eyes and it’s heartbreaking. I remember driving to the airport in a different country, on one side you have this nice airport and then right next to it there’s hundreds of slums… In most of these countries one dollar is enough to feed one child for almost two days.”

Club members believe that if we are given the opportunity to help, then why not take it? Senior Novedeep Kaur said, “I like helping out the community.” When asked what she likes about the club so far, she said, “I like the people, the close-knit relationship of the members. We have fun volunteering together.”

For those interested, meetings are held Wednesday’s after school in P-15 or P-10. We hope to see you there!