Dana Rappaport ’11
Web Managing Editor
From Ecuador to South Africa, Staples students participate in a multitude of community service projects across the globe. All charity work is good charity work, however the spotlight shines on Builders Beyond Borders, Staples’ National Honor Society, and SARAA for fundraising outside of the Westport boundaries.
Builders Beyond Borders, more commonly known as B3, is not affiliated with Staples, however many students participate in their annual trips – on in February and one in April – to underdeveloped South American villages. This year the trip will be to Ecuador, however a bulk of the organization’s community service work does not occur during the trip.
Each member of the program must complete six hours of community service before they leave on their trip. Each trip team completes these hours together.
“I really like the community service we do here because we are required to complete our hours before the trip so it gives us a lot of time for team bonding” Kelley Hussey ’11, a current three-year participant of the B3 program, said.
This year Hussey participated in a team cleanup of STAR Inc. – a housing program that provides a place for mentally challenged adults. Hussey explained that her group made walking paths in STAR’s nearby woods so its members could go on nature walks.
“Also, in the past we have built a playground in Bridgeport which I thought was really fun and rewarding” Hussey said.
Recently, on Nov. 20, other B3 students ran a concession stand for the organization CancerCare for Kids at the “Blocks of Love” event hosted at Fairfield Ludlowe High School.
“A big part of B3 is recognizing what we can do for our own community before we go aboard to work in developing countries…The service work we do at home is an excellent way to get into the habit of looking at way to help out close to home” Elena Adams ’12 said.
After the B3 students have completed their community service hours and have helped their own areas, it is time for them to
“We will be working alongside the locals to build community bathroom. This will include the plumbing pipeline ad well as the structure itself,” Erica Gendell ‘11 said.
Gendell and her team will be working in a village in the Andes named San Antonio de Alao.
Several hundreds of miles north of the Ecuadorian B3 work sites, Staples can be found helping out in Haiti.
In addition, the National Honor Society has recently started the fundraiser Shoes for Work. The program was introduced to the society by their teacher advisor, Christina Richardson. Shoes for Work is nationally run by the program Haiti Works – an organization that strives to provide Haiti with long-term planning solutions to combat the disaster spurred by the earthquake. Many Haitians do not have footwear to help them with even the simplest of tasks.
Shoes for Work is an effort to gather work and hiking boots with hard soles to send to Haiti.
“It’s very difficult to work without having appropriate footwear,” Tessa Green ’11 said.
Students who are interested in donating shoes for Shoes for Work can find cardboard boxes located in the main lobby of the school.
Likewise, Staples’ South African Refugee Aid Association club, more commonly known as SARAA, is collecting good to send abroad.
SARAA is a club that directly fundraises for a refugee camp located in Cape Town, South Africa. The camp is called “The Ark: City of Refuge” and is a home to 2,000 people.
“Someone donated eight pairs of boys soccer cleats, shin guards, and brand new jerseys which the boys went crazy for. While volunteering there we helped build a soccer goal out of the tree branches and rope,” Rachel Weinstein ’11, the president of SARAA, said.
Last year SARAA raised over $1,000 and donated 250 lbs. of donated clothing to The Ark.
This year the club is switching gears and trying to help a school in Zambia. Coincidently, this particular school is associated with the South African singing troupe that came to Staples – Thula Sizwe.
For this cause SARAA is asking the student body to donate school supplies.
“We hope that this fundraiser will help the school grow and allow for more students to attend for free,” Weinstein said.
Whether in Ecuador, Haiti, or South Africa, Staples student effort can be across the globe.
