This winter, the UNICEF club hosted a winter clothing drive at East High School that brought in hundreds of clothes for Goodwill. Through these donations, the UNICEF club has helped give back to the community during the pandemic winter.

The East UNICEF club was started by senior Rohen Arya in March 2020. UNICEF, or the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, is a nonprofit organization that provides help around the world with clean water, vaccinations, building schools, and more. Rohen says, “UNICEF started a high school program so that students can get engaged with the organization to contribute to the global community. Our club is registered on UNICEF’s website and you can even see our club on the map!”

There are three main components to the UNICEF club: fundraising, community service, and awareness. So far, the UNICEF club has raised $1,640 through direct and family donations over the holidays. They also recently hosted a virtual Fornite gaming tournament that raised almost $100 for the club. Over the summer, members teamed up to create a Youtube video, and through ad revenues of over 3,000 streams, the video made almost $400! The fundraising has made a large impact for UNICEF, and Rohen explains, “UNICEF has a ranking list for fundraising on clubs and we are ranked #1 on most money raised, even above all the college clubs.” All fundraising money goes directly to UNICEF, and from there, the organization can use the money to help causes around the world.

“The second component is community service; although we are supporting the global community, we are also supporting the local community” Says Rohen. The winter clothing drive helped out the local Goodwill and provided warm clothing for people in need right in our area. “The goal is to help our community locally with even the smallest actions.”

The last component, awareness, is very important to the club members. “ We all live in a bubble in West Chester. Although diverse, it does not compose of all the problems in the world. It’s important to educate ourselves on the outside world” Explains Rohen. The club is planning on sending brochures to elementary and middle schools to raise cultural awareness in our community. Additionally, club members participate in open and inclusive discussions on diversity and cultural backgrounds.

Rohen found inspiration to start UNICEF after participating in a study abroad program, NSLIY, in Pune, India. “India is definitely a different country in terms of poverty- there are so many people on the streets without resources. The whole entire point of the program was to promote foreign diplomacy and I was able to do that by connecting to people of different cultures. I had a great experience of cultural exchange where we both taught each other about our cultures. However, we can’t go and make a direct impact because we are high schoolers. I wanted to do the same idea in our school setting by promoting cultural exchange in school.”

UNICEF is a great way to get involved with the school community and to meet new people. Rohen says, “My favorite part is the ability to meet different people from the school because most of the people in the club are people I’ve never met.” The club hosts meetings every Monday from 2:00 to around 2:30, and anyone is welcome to join! If you want to be involved in the club but can’t attend meetings, you can also participate in UNICEF’s volunteer opportunities or clothing drives. And if you want to make a difference through UNICEF outside of school, even a $1 donation can go a long way!

If you are passionate about an issue and want to make change through the school, Rohen advises, “Just go for it! Reach out to people who have done it in school because they will give you great advice. You can also ask teachers because they are a great resource (they know people besides each other!) Also, it’s important to make sure you are educated about the initiative you are passionate about, because without that you won’t have anything to propel you.” All it takes is a little passion and some help to make a difference, and East High School has many resources for you to help out the community!