Gay Straight Alliance club conducts a drive
This October, The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club is conducting a drive called H2 Outreach to gather toiletries for LGBTQ youth who have been kicked out of their homes by their unsupportive families. All proceeds are donated to LGBTQ teens currently living in a housing facility of LifeWorks, a non-profit organization aimed at helping teens and parents manage personal issues at work and home.
“Life Works has a shelter for LGBTQ youth who were kicked out of their homes or who couldn’t get hormone treatment in their homes, if they were trans or non-binary,” Adina Van Etten, junior and secretary of GSA, said. “You could call them homeless, but it depends on the situation.”
GSA started the drive last year for the first time, collecting canned foods. This year, the club decided to bring back the drive but with a new approach. The drive is now collecting donations of dental and hair care products, such as toothbrushes, toothpastes, and shampoos. These items can be donated via H2 Outreach bags in every third-period classroom until October 30th.
Thus far, both H2 Outreach drives have not only had successful turnouts for LGBTQ youth, but also for the GSA club on campus.
“Since starting the drive, we’ve made many connections with outside groups like LifeWorks and GSA clubs at other high schools,” Mrs. Lemiux, advisor of GSA club, said. “It has allowed us to get more and more involved in the community as a GSA club and the kids felt it was really important to do.”
However, according to Dani Kascle, junior and GSA club member, donating toiletries is not the only way to support LGBTQ youth.
“If you can’t show support by bringing toiletries, you can always show moral support. You can always join GSA and spread the love. That’s what we are trying to do,” Castle said.
H2 Outreach has allowed GSA members to educate other students as well as themselves about spreading the message of support.
“I think it’s very important that the drive is conducted by students on campus because I think that school is not just for teaching English or math or science. It’s for helping a student become a full, participating citizen in their community,” Lemiux said. “By conducting drives of this sort, it contributes to students’ sense of giving through random acts of kindness.”
