BY LAUREN BARNHARDT
Special to the Clarkston News
Big ideas can start small, and this was no different for Clarkston High School seniors Matthew Dargay and Angela Sedano, and three fellow students when creating a new charity, Clarkston Feeds The Homeless.
It started with a simple conversation between friends and a Google search. Soon the classmates were on the phone and across the school asking for donations in an effort to not only feed Michigan’s homeless, but inform the community on an issue worth rallying for.
‘The goal of the project is to help provide temporary relief for a significant portion of southeast Michigan’s homeless population and to spread awareness of the homeless crisis that plagues the nation,? explained Dargay.
The group has been collecting donations of nonperishable food items and toiletries in attempts to reach their goal of providing goods for six local shelters for an entire day.
On May 31, student volunteers will meet at CHS, where they will assemble the donated items into care packages containing meals, water bottles, and toiletries.
All care packages will then be driven out to partnering shelters such as Cass Community Social Services, Rescue Mission Genesis II, Covenant House Michigan, and several others by adult volunteers.
The group is also urging enlistees to distribute flyers labeled ‘The Truth about Homelessness? to their family, friends, and neighbors.
‘We really just wanted for our message to be as widespread as possible. We’re hoping the flyers lead to bigger results,? stated senior Courtney Hughes, a charity project member.
All donations so far have been provided by private businesses, but community members can help too.
‘It would be best for donations to be sent directly to the charities we’ve partnered with in the form of cash or checks,? said Dargay, ‘but the charities would also accept bulk donations of water bottles and toiletries.?
Though the project is aiming for as many donations as possible, that is not their only goal. Charity members are acknowledging the importance of informing their peers on Michigan’s homelessness crisis.
‘We take our advantages for granted,? said Sedano. ‘We don’t even realize how lucky we are, and that needs to change.?
These animated students are embodying the idea that anyone can make a difference.
‘I think people assume since we’re in high school that a project like this isn’t approachable, but it is. We want to sustain our charity and positively affect as many people as we can,? expressed charity project member Kailan Mehta.
Though this is only Clarkston Feeds the Homeless? first year gathering donations, they plan to continue their charity through Clarkston High School for years to come.
‘We wanted to leave a lasting legacy behind at CHS, one that would help others and hopefully make a difference,? added Sedano.