Continuing in the essence of Thanksgiving, Pleasant Valley students are giving back to the community in various ways.

As the holiday season approaches, Toys for Tots is a fitting organization to help brighten the lives of less fortunate children by providing gifts and spreading joy. Zach Myatt, senior, spent the past week wearing a 3-foot Santa hat around the school in honor of giving back. He is collecting donations (inside the hat) for Toys for Tots, a campaign whose mission is to “collect and distribute new, unwrapped toys as Christmas gifts to those children less fortunate in our community”. Myatt has already raised $600 for this organization.

“I was just happy for all the support that the students and faculty have given me,” Myatt acknowledged.

Pleasant Valley students are giving back in more ways than just monetary donations, though. On the past early out, many of the students and faculty gave blood. Spartan Assembly members organized this event which was sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. Workers came in to set up tables in the PVHS gym just as they would be set up at the blood drive center.

“It is a very simple process (only taking me around 25 minutes) and leaves you feeling really good about the lives you might have saved by donating on that day. I think donating blood is very overlooked sometimes but can seriously help save so many people as well as influence others to help out too,” explained Haley German, junior. “I have healthy blood, so by donating, I’m doing my part to give to those who need it most.”

Finally, PV’s chapter of Girls Learn International will also be holding an upcoming t-shirt fundraiser. GLI is a program part of the feminist majority foundation dedicated to advocating for gender equality and educating students on pertinent issues affecting women around the world. The last fundraiser went to supporting universal health and clean water. PV’s GLI Club donated to the Pardadi Institute in India which set up nurses in their school to provide free health care for students. Although it is yet to be decided which specific charity will be supported this time around, the funds raised will definitely continue the spirit of giving back to the community.

“Although America still struggles with issues of gender equality, American women have rights that are an impossible fantasy for many women around the world, and I’m doing my part to turn their fantasies into reality,” stated Ramya Kumar, junior. “If there is a continued imbalance of educated men versus educated women, not only is that society held back but the whole world cannot progress.”

While these students are doing their part in giving back to the community, there are many other ways for students to do the same. Simply donating spare change to the Salvation Army representatives who stand at local grocery stores or volunteering time at a soup kitchen can make all the difference. “I know that it’s for a really amazing cause and I want to help those around me,” added Germain. “I give because I think it’s the right thing to do.”