York students peruse different volunteering options at York

When students think of volunteering opportunities at York, Key Club is usually the first thing that comes to mind. When, in fact, there are several opportunities spread throughout multiple clubs. This becomes obvious when looking at the attendance of these three clubs from the beginning of the year.

Make a Wish Club and Amnesty Club average about 10 people per meeting. On the other hand, Key Club, especially at the beginning of the year, estimates about 80 participants. When looking at each club individually, they each prioritize different things. Make a Wish Club, for example, is an organization-based club that works to help create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. They do this by creating fundraisers at events like football games.

 “I would say we are a more focused club, in the sense that we prioritize one cause and donate all of our proceeds to the organization directly,” Eliana Hollis, president and founder of Make a Wish Club, said.

Similar to Make a Wish Club, Amnesty Club is also based around an organization in that all volunteering and proceeds go towards that organization, Amnesty International. Which prioritizes working to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth, and dignity are denied.

“Amnesty club is more personal than other clubs,” Eva Mitchell, club president, said. “Yes, Key Club and Make a Wish Club do amazing things regarding fundraisers; however, Amnesty doesn’t only raise money; we put a face to the name and interact with a whole new culture, one I’m sure many privileged children at York would be gratified to hear.”

On the other hand, Key Club focuses on the flexibility aspect of volunteering by letting students choose when they’d like to volunteer. On top of that, Key Club has no minimum requirement for volunteer hours, making the club low-commitment.

“Key Club works around your schedule,” said Abbey Martin, current president of Key Club. “So we like to provide different events around the community that offer different fun things to do.”

Volunteering and fundraising are great ways to give back to the community. Something everyone should try. In the end, it comes down to what type of volunteering and commitment each student wants to prioritize. Thankfully, there are numerous options here in York.