The Empowering Women Club is a new extracurricular at HHS. Starting up in the fall of this year, its goal is to support women in need and create a stronger school community. For this holiday season, The Empowering Women Club decided to make a book drive to Rosie’s Place in Boston, a homeless shelter for women. 

During Health class, in November, there was a unit about giving back to others, in which students were tasked with researching a local organization and how they help others. This unit resonated with President Taylor Ferrante, stating, “After hearing about Rosie’s Place in Health about giving to those in need, I decided that donating books to women in need would be perfect for the holiday season.” 

After Taylor researched more about Rosie’s Place, she knew she wanted to make their holiday season bright. She and the club made posters and bins to advertise their donations by the main office. By December 18th, she had many donations of books ranging from all reading levels, since she notes, “Many of them are not native English speakers or are really young, so we are accepting all books ranging from kids books to novels.”

Not only did the club collect books, but they were also able to get a few other goods such as Mac n’ Cheese, and a small cash donation of $3. When delivering their donations to the shelter, the individuals were ecstatic that they had received gifts for the holidays, especially the young kids. 

Co-President Bianca Kiley shares, “It was just so heartwarming to see what we were doing was putting a smile on other peoples’ faces.” 

The club is encouraging everyone to stop by local businesses, charities, and shelters and share some support and kindness this holiday season. It greatly impacts the community and builds a better world for everybody. Local food banks such as Stop & Shop’s are accepting donations year-round and make a great contribution, if you want to support them and their efforts to provide food for people who are not able to get enough food for their families. Perishables and other goods are greatly appreciated.