With events ranging from dog treat-making to a blood drive, the Community Service Leadership Board (CSLB) celebrated Philanthropy February, a month devoted to educating the community on service. CSLB partnered with Archer clubs and outside organizations to create 10 different events, all of which aimed to raise awareness about a multitude of issues.

“The main goal of the month is to educate the community on service and the service that Archer girls are already doing and are involved in, and to also encourage people to get involved,” CSLB President Eden Motzkin ’19 said.

This year, Student Council wanted to “build bridges” with other clubs this year. To achieve this goal, CSLB and Student Council partnered to create a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood on Galentine’s Day, which was held on Feb. 13.

“[Student Council wanted to create] bonds between all groups like HEC and CSLB this year,” Student Body President Juliet Youssef ’19 said. “We wanted to coordinate our fundraiser with Philanthropy February in light of raising awareness for good causes.”

During this fundraiser, Youssef served as the communication between students, faculty and CSLB.

“Student Council is allowed to have one fundraiser every year,” Youssef said. “We decided to sell Diddy Riese cookies in order to raise money for Planned Parenthood. We wanted to send our money in support of women.”

Youssef credited her ninth-grade history class and Archer in general with helping her discover a love of service.

“I [have] realized that service is not a one-and-done thing,” Youssef said, “[and] that, especially after Archer discontinued required hours for community service, it has to come from your heart and from a place of actually wanting to do good.”

Motzkin, who has been in the Community Service Club since tenth grade, said that Philanthropy February helps make service more easily accessible to students.

“Philanthropy February is important because we get to give back and encourage other people to give back, and there are a lot of easy ways for people to get involved in service,” Motzkin said. “Instead of just promoting one organization to go get involved with outside of school, we bring it to people here at Archer and it makes it easier for them to take that first step of getting involved.”

Junior Maddie Fenster participated in the Red Cross blood drive as a first-time donor and learned that she has a rare blood type.

“I think that donations, philanthropy and community service are all very important because we all have privileges in our life and I think it’s really important to give back,” Fenster said. “I’m definitely going to be donating more blood in the future.”

After Philanthropy February, CSLB hopes that students are inspired to continue service, both within and outside of Archer.

“I think, throughout my own service through high school, it’s been very important to show how much we can help the community as young adults,” Youssef said. “That’s why I love this month so much.”