‘Tis the Season to Be Serving

As midterms approach, beckoning the Christmas break ever near, Houston Christian Interact Club members decided to spread the Christmas cheer by serving at SpringSpirit, a Christ-centered non-profit ministering to Houston families, for their annual Christmas Party. The Interact Club is a high-school branch of the Rotary Club, an international organization of professionals and philanthropists working together to serve their community. At Houston Christian, the Interact Club is passionate about all the work they can do for their fellow Houstonians.

SpringSpirit’s Christmas Party was held December 9th, and featured hundreds of families excitedly awaiting raffles and music, along with the fun games that Interact members had prepared weeks in advance. SpringSpirit kids got to participate in games ranging from “Pin the Tail on the Reindeer” and “Ornament Spoon Racing” to “Snowball Throwing” and “Gift Wrapping,” all run by enthusiastic Interact members. By 7 p.m., the event was booming, and as I walked around the baseball field, full of buzz and bustling events, I could not help but notice the endless amounts of smiles on kids’ faces. As the club’s President, nothing made me happier than seeing Interact members with the same, big grins on their faces, as well.

Interact Club Vice President, Caleb Allen, manned the most popular game of the night: freeplay soccer. As one of the few seniors in the club, Caleb takes his last year of high school to leave a lasting mark on his community through Interact Club’s service projects. Caleb has a heart for service, and shared a few words on what he loves about Interact Club while serving at the Christmas Party. For him, it was absolutely awesome to see how service projects can “bring the whole community together” and learn the different stories of the people he serves. Interact Club as a whole has given him experience “organizing people toward a common goal,” one of “making people’s lives better” through selfless service.

As someone who has been a part of the Interact Club since my freshman year, it has been absolutely inspiring to see how much good can be done when a group of devoted individuals get together to make a difference in the community. Houston Christian Interact has repainted two homes, raised $2,100 for SpringSpirit, and completed several successful supply drives in its history since its founding in 2019. I have not just served my community, but been part of a legacy of good that Interact continues to build upon.

The club boasts around 40 dedicated members, and is functioning only thanks to its supportive club sponsor, Coach Jeff Faircloth (special shoutout!). As SpringSpirit representatives exclaimed as they watched a large group of Interact members arrive at the Christmas Party, the club continues to be a “much needed help” in the community of Houston.