Written by Navya Nadkarni
Unionville High School’s Interact Club is one of its largest and most impactful clubs, with around 200 members. The club’s leaders have been making a meaningful impact on the local community for years, and they plan to expand in the coming years, especially with incoming freshmen. Recently, the club was recognized for over ten years of selling Pulsera bracelets and contributing $5,000 to the Pulsera Project, educating and empowering artists from Central America. Utilizing the Interact mission of “Service Above Self”, the Interact Club creates numerous volunteer opportunities for high school students in the local community and worldwide.
Many projects, including the Pulsera bracelet sale and Rise Against Hunger, contribute to different continents. Rise Against Hunger is club president, Taryn McCormick’s favorite event. It is an outstanding initiative in which the club coordinates with the Rise Against Hunger non-profit organization inviting students to package meals for struggling nations in Africa. This year, Interact hosted a whole-day event at Unionville, and with the help of Kennett High School’s Interact Club, they were able to package over 10,000 meals for a nation in Africa. Taryn shared, “It was a great day; some of the people from Longwood Rotary stopped by and it is one of the most important things we do.” Events like these are costly, so the club hosts bake sales to raise money for Rise Against Hunger. With an abundance of club members, many students donate baked goods helping to make these events possible.
The club also offers all types of volunteer opportunities in the local community, including making cards for hospitalized children and packaging medical supplies in coordination with Project Cure. Taryn noted, “We are always open to new volunteering opportunities and reaching out to people and seeing if they need help with Interact.” As Taryn transitions to college, Adam Zlam steps in as the new club president. He plans to continue Rise Against Hunger and desires to expand the club’s influence to a broader community through holding clothing and food drives. The future is bright for Interact Club as it continues to expand and help the community.
Unionville High School’s Interact Club is the quintessential example of a strong and impactful student-led organization that is making a difference in the lives of the local and global communities. Through the different projects they have been implementing and the future initiatives they are planning, the club will continue to inspire the youth in the community to volunteer their time and always remember the importance of service above self.
