Western High School Key Club 2018-2019 | September Newsletter

What’s Buzzin’, Key Clubbers?

I want to congratulate y’all for finishing the 1st Quarter of the school year and for finishing the 2nd Quarter of the Key Club Term. The impact you make through your service is truly unmeasurable. All of you give me and the rest of the board a purpose to serve on a daily basis. No matter how much you volunteered this past month, I want to assure you that any kind of contribution matters to this club.

You all make what Key Club is all about. You guys make me the happiest President I can be. Now since that September ended, let’s keep going strong because before you know it, the term is going to end super soon and with your acts of service, we can leave a legacy behind for the future members and officers to follow. Keep volunteering, keep contributing, keep doing you, and keep that big smile on your face no matter what happens.

Love you all, Ali Al-Saleem, President 2018-2019

What’s buzzin’ key-uties?

It’s been months since school started and I hope you’re having a managable year so far.

If you’re currently stressed, don’t worry, I am too, but just remember we’re going to get through this! Don’t forget to have fun every once in a while to manage that stress.

This newsletter has a slightly new look compared to my other newsletters. If you don’t know me, my style changes really often and check if I’m improving or not. I’d like to know what you think of this style, and if you can’t tell the difference, feel free to message me so I can explain it to you.

Speaking of telling the difference, read til the end to get a chance to earn a service hour by solving the puzzle of the month!

Enjoy the newsletter!

- Winzel Payumo | Bulletin Editor

Alley Beautification was an absolute beauty!

Volunteers started the morning off right with a lovely, free breakfast provided by the city of Anaheim. We also got amazing “I love Anaheim” shirts! After we checked in, we met our wonderful supervisory and proceeded to the alley that we would paint.

In order to get to the alley, we went through a house. There, we got bright vests and divided into groups to start

paining over graffiti or just the really old and dirty walls. Painting was non-stop and we had a fun time during the entire time! Of course along the way, we got tired and took few breaks to rest and hydrate. It took a few hours but we finally completed repainting the alley and it looked beautiful.

We were able to make a direct and positive change in our community by doing one simple thing on a Saturday morning:

painting! After we finished our job, we quickly washed our hands and went on a one hour walk back to the church for some food. Catering was from CrossRoast and the wraps were delicious. They even offered us seconds when everyone was able to get one. Overall, it was a great and treasured day by many of the volunteers. I hope we can have more local events like these!

- Kathy Tu | Historian

On Saturday, September 1, 2018, Western Key Club students take the offer to volunteer their morning for the Alley Beautification event held

by Love Anaheim. Love Anaheim is a multi-sector Service Project movement that helps bring the people of Anaheim together and with their talents, work on projects for the common good of the city.

This event is in partnership with Magnolia Baptist Church where all volunteers meet up for a little mini breakfast and wait to be arranged into groups that will be stationed throughout the community.

Our project is to sweep the alley of a neighborhood nearby which was only a couple of minutes walk from the Church, and repaint over all the old walls and any possible unwant-

ed graffiti. After getting all the set up arrangements done, our group split up in 4 teams of 3 and got straight to work. This was my first time painting actual walls and let me just say it was harder than I anticipated, but nevertheless gave me a good arm workout.

By the end of the event, I got paint splatter everywhere on me, but it was enjoyable. My group walked back to the church where they provided us with lunch and took lots of group photos. Events like this makes you feel accomplished because it’s within our community that we have given our time and service to.

- Ivy Vi | Member Recognition

On September 15th, Western Key Clubbers volunteered at the event Engaging Aging. At this event, we helped with the Senior Olympics. Senior citizens from different areas came together to compete against each other.

During the beginning of the event, we helped the seniors out of their buses and to register in. Then we gave them their name tags. This continued until everyone was signed in. All the seniors, including the volunteers were welcomed to join breakfast, which was a variety of pastries and fruit. There was also coffee, juice, and water to drink. During the breakfast, the schedule of the rest of the day was explained.

After breakfast was over, we helped clean up. Then we went out to help with the activities. There were many, such as the footfall toss, horse shoe toss, walking race, basketball, etc. I was assigned to help with the horse shoe toss. In this activity, I was suppose to give out horse shoes to the seniors to be thrown, and to also collect them off the ground afterwards. This continued until lunch was starting to get set up.

During lunch, I was in charge of handing out the drinks. There was an option of lemonade or iced tea. Everyone got their own Panera Bread box to eat, which consisted of two sandwiches, a cookie, and a bag of kettle chips. Volunteers also had the chance to eat too.

- Vicky Vu | Secretary

The OC Food Bank is hands down one of the best volunteer events Key Club has to offer. It is very resourceful and you get to know a lot about the community and causes you’re helping.

Western Key Club volunteers got to visit the warehouse for another round on Saturday, September 22 from 11am to 1pm. We had a few people who were experienced with the event while a majority of us had yet to learn new things.

Volunteers got to work with another other organization for the first time.

They were very skilled and have actually been volunteering at the warehouse for quite a while now.

Western had various types of jobs from arranging the boxes, stacking the boxes, assembling boxes, stuffing them with canned goods, etc. I, along with another board member, got to as-

This is another one of those events that I just love. I’ve attended this event twice now and every time I leave the warehouse, I feel extremely accomplished. Maybe the feeling of accomplishment is what makes this event one of my favorite. Just now, this made me realize why I volunteer and help out my community. The rewarding feeling after each event is what keeps me wanting to volunteer even more. It’s not that I never knew why I volunteered but now, I have a stronger understanding of why I volunteer. Now onto what we did at this event. This event was held in this big warehouse filled with stacked up food. There were four different stations that was set up for us; making boxes, putting the boxes up on the conveyer, putting food into the boxes, and taping the boxes and putting it on the wooden cart. I worked at two different stations, the first

was making the boxes. What can I say, my arms took a hit after continuously making boxes for 15 minutes but since we were short on time, I kept on going. I couldn’t take it anymore so I took a break and went to another station, this station was the last station where boxes where being taped of and put into the wooden carts. This station was for sure harder because I hard to use a lot of my forearm strength to push down the flaps and taping it at the same time. I did this for a god amount of time and everything was fine until I got a blister. This hurt and stung but guess what, I still kept on going but thankfully it was the end of our shift. Despite the blister, I had such a good time packaging food for those in need and spending some quality time with my friend. I hope to come back here again!

- Anh Cao | Historian

semble the boxes. Not to boast about it or anything but, we were professionals a it. It may seemed like a difficult task, but it was actually very fun. We had the music blasting right next to us and we were able to take short breaks when needed. After that, we decided to switch positions with other volunteers. Now It got harder. The boxes were harder to tape because some of the food was sticking out. Fortunately, we found a way to make everything fit, but It was a very slow process.

We had a set goal of packing 1000 boxes in the ample amount of time we had. Unfortunately, we only made 800.

Even though we didn’t reach our goal.

I know a lot of us were glad we could help a low income family and have realized this new part of the world we haven’t seen before.

- Marilitz Diwa | Publicist

Color Run was an annual event held at Western High School. The funds raised for this event used to go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Unfortunately, for this Color Run, it was the last one, and all the funds raised goes to the school’s athletics department which helps give back to the students. Anyone can be a runner or a volunteer, and it is fun to be either. As a runner, powders of colors are thrown at you. As a volunteer, you get to throw the colored powder at people. Volunteers also help set up, give out water, cheer on runners, and clean up after the event.

For set up, volunteers were tasked to help set up the balloon arch, make posters, hang up posters, set up the check in booth, and set up the finish and starting line. My first task was to help with the balloon arch.

I blew a lot of balloons and tied them together in pairs. The others would use the balloons to put in the arch.

After the balloon arch was finished, I helped hung up posters around. Once the actual event started, volunteers helped cheer on the runners and give them cups of water along the way. It was fun when everyone threw colored powder in the air when the run started. Volunteers also had fun throwing the powder at people too.

After the run was over, volunteers helped clean up by putting away the tables, tents and other props, and popping all the balloons. Overall, it was a great event, and everyone was just having fun even though it was the last Color Run. - Danica Lopez | Historian

e for th t i a w n I can’t hat it has i d n a w M . DC t DCM and d a r e t s Edito ber in or at nex e for us. lletin m u e B | m , on umo stor 30S ow D ear of ballo und, so - Winzel Pay l l e f o s af ed, stress de I have e popping n our balo s e e h a y t Mm l got m least relieved wh it definitel .

Schoo to this DC e weight t k s u c a Iw th ic atta ped, b ing so go rgot about ities for few loon pop used a pan another l d ca me fo responsibi most at, we ha play rock l a s a e y h t w w m ne r of DCM 2nd, Afte ity where in ith someo o . r s e r b u g 2 w v m ho Septe eptember Mile acti r scissors ses has to lay e o t l S p p a pa pm ever last then held :00 to 5:00 started off and who e winner, f people h 2 d from Park. We reaker, an behind t ther set o lines of e o b t r Squa little ice the mee t with an have long e played d a with hat, we ha is a join , until we fter that, w basically t it M est e le. A after is DCivision 4 Wittle peop -Bear and group we’r Th .

D en g-a ed the a l ing with e scav s Hu went DCM meeting me update determin be in for th s e he so th . I heard so n, which i going to nt is t I r u . o r t i a h e s e n i g r h u v n e i . h g lo heir d it’s nice to spir- ger e scaven this DCM it t m o Th r e fr so d. Ou ecaus t for t eady cool b hey achieve y Seo, go best par group alr to como y t what rdinator, J pirit Com f know m rd for me , but the a S o o m h o y it c Fall Rall so proud t wasn’t th the too. We i w e a t e in to and we’r he’s a gre unica ere so fun st frantim s r e u o mitte d I know itely up f sks w urselves j nd, trying a t s n n i her, a who’s defi Key Club f found o ning arou . We also n perso sk. Western ing club o cally run everything ions and t y n t s thi a e first shi I was reall to finish trivia ques because h w t v e o d . o h l e h also onth, an had t s, which I the riddles now k I m se of dle the d 81 becau works. d rid now most complete we d a u h o e r b p e ur clu ough ting, w y I k nd, w hard o er the mee e in we pla In the e d even th definitely Aft wher s with the tasks, an , it was ’d never y t i v i n r I t c r, n’t wi omething this a aper scisso membe d i d s n r p s rock ite divisio we tie ou fun and in thi n I u s , . f o d en loon get. had opp n the r with a bal with a for Overall, I i d n a yself gethe y feet to get to tie m ut with m b didn’t member, D04W

Saturday, September 29 marks the day of the Boo-uena Park Fall Festival. The event were decorated with fall and halloween themed. I was actually excited and amused with this event due to the fact that I love the fall season. People were setting up their booths. There were the food booths, arts + crafts, local entertainment, and more!! The kids enjoyed and had fun with the event.

Volunteers were able to help set up, be in charge of food vendors, the arts + craft booth, and activities such as playing the drums. When the members got there, we were shown a tour on where to sign in and where the break room was. The coordinators were really nice to provide a break room, water, and snacks. Then, we were separated into different duties.

Thao, Sofia, and I were able to do the arts and crafts booth. In our booth, we could create flower crowns for the kids to take or help out the kids in making their own flower crowns. The materials we had were the hot glue gun, fake flowers, pompoms, pipe-cleaners, and a headband. We were able to show our creativity and had fun in making them. We even got to keep some of the stuff we made.

Meanwhile, the other volunteers were at the drum section. Their job was to encourage others to play the drums. If the kids were struggling, the volunteers are their to guide them. Same duties apply to the people who signed up for the second shift. They also worked at the arts and crafts booth.

Overall, the event was a fun, productive day. The people there were nice and our volunteers enjoyed the creativity and fun they had with it.

- Khrystal Contreras | Vice-President