Red Cross Club at Memorial High School

With students settling into the new school year, many are excited to join the various clubs at Memorial High school. With the school’s official club fair, I had the chance to visit the various booths of available clubs during my lunch period. It was very enjoyable to see and listen to what everyone had prepared. One particular club that stood out to me was the Red Cross Club. I had the opportunity to talk with the club president Manaswi Panthi about the club. 

“In the Red Cross club, we do service projects that are related to the mission of the Red Cross as a whole, which is to alleviate human suffering. We do both in-person and at-home service projects, such as blood drives and thank you cards,” says Manaswi. The Red Cross Club is a great place with the intention to help others in the medical field. 

Manaswi mentions the struggles of the club last year because of COVID and the excitement she has going into this new school year.

“This year, I would really like to get to know all the members in the club. Last year, due to COVID, we were doing online meetings, which made it hard to get to know everyone," she said. "I get it though, because it’s hard to unmute yourself on Zoom in front of like 30 people! I definitely think having the in-person meetings now will help everyone actually feel like we’re a team,” says Manaswi. 

When asked who can join the club, she said, “anyone looking for opportunities not just in the club but also through a bigger organization outside of school should join the club. Being in the club, there are so many more volunteering opportunities through Red Cross as a whole that you don’t need to do with the club to take part in. I think the fact that Red Cross is a non-profit as a whole makes it unique from other clubs because we are helping the community for a greater purpose."

Participating in the club is straightforward and a rewarding experience.

“Being part of the club isn’t difficult as all. We will have meetings once a month, which is where the two service projects for the month will be introduced. Last year, not only were we online, but I had also just reestablished the club at our school, so it was definitely not easy finding service projects. We only did at-home service projects such as making tote bags for veterans and helping seniors at senior homes through Zoom,” says Manaswi.

Come join the Red Cross Club! To join, text @red1cross to 81010 or join through the Remind app!