UC High organizations such as UNICEF Club, CSF Club, and Key Club are all lending a hand this holiday season at school and all over the community through volunteer work and fundraising.
UNICEF stands for the United Nations Children’s Fund, or more formally, the United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund.  According to their official website, it is a worldwide humanitarian relief organization that mainly supplies needy children with health care, clean water, food, education, and emergency relief  (unicefusa.org).
“We did a fundraiser called ‘Trick or Treat for UNICEF’ where we collected donations instead of candy. When it is not the holiday season, we try to come up with more ways to fundraise money because it is for a good cause,” said Senior Jacob Gibbons, a UNICEF Club President.
The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) Club is a club that mainly focuses on high school students in California who have high standards in scholarship and perform community service, according to their website (csf-cjsf.org). “We do volunteering around the school and the community.  We also try to have a lot of fundraisers in order to raise money for scholarships because that is what CSF is all about,” remarked Senior Fred Zhang, one of the Presidents of the CSF Club.
The CSF Club will be volunteering at the Jingle Bell Arthritis Run/Walk in Balboa Park on December 10.  “We will be helping out at different stations during the event, doing things like giving drinks to the runners and cheering them on,” explained Senior Lean Vizcocho, the other CSF Club President.
The Key Club at UC High is very closely intertwined with edUCate, a nonprofit organization that funds all five of the University City Public Schools through raising money at specific events, such as the annual “Taste of the Triangle” (uc-educate.org). Through volunteering at these events, the Key Club has opportunities available to club members almost every weekend.
Some of the many upcoming events for Key Club include a gift wrapping event at Bookstar and0 “Breakfast with Santa” at the Standley Recreation Center.  “I think it helps as a group to do something meaningful with your free time,” said Senior Hailan Pang, the President of Key Club.  “Volunteering for others benefits teens because the experience helps them grow into adulthood.”