Interact boasts 400+ members that strive to put service above self

Interact+members%2C+working+alongside+Student+council+members%2C+help+with+gardening+projects+for+the+school+during+the+LZ+Week+of+Service.+LZ+Week+of+service+is+just+one+of+the+many+events+that+Interact+sends+volunteers+to.

Photo by Photo used with permission of @lzhsstudco

Interact members, working alongside Student council members, help with gardening projects for the school during the ‘LZ Week of Service’. ‘LZ Week of service’ is just one of the many events that Interact sends volunteers to.

The school’s biggest club also strives to have the biggest impact on the community, by sending volunteers to school, local, and outreach events.

Interact, which consists of over 400 members, gives opportunities for students to volunteer at local soup kitchens, elementary school game nights, marathons, and more. Members of the club complete twenty (and sometimes as many as fifty!) hours of volunteer work and attend at least ten meetings every year. The club is not only a great way to give back, but it’s also a great way to get involved at school, according 2018 graduate Haley Wold, president of Interact.

“It’s the biggest club in the school, so it’s a great way to get involved because you’re going to meet a lot of people, but also through the events, you’re really going to grow as a person,”Wold said. “My favorite event, for example, is Emmaus House and being able to directly interact with the people that you’re are working with and helping out. Emmaus House is basically a dinner provided by St Francis for people who can’t always afford big meals, and when I was volunteering at it, I saw the direct impact being made on the people I was helping. So for me [Interact] is a really eye opening experience, and I think that everyone should have those.”

The “eye-opening” club, which only four years ago had about 100 members, now has over 400. This growth says a lot about the club, and the school in general, according to Wold.

“[It shows] that LZHS students totally rock because almost a fourth of the school volunteers or gives back to the community in some form or another,” Wold said. “The process has to be involved [in the growth], volunteering has become a lot easier, so that definitely has something to do with it.”

However, the size of the club can also pose it’s challenges as well, according to Olivia Paparone, freshman member.

“[It’s hard] finding dates that are open to you, sometimes there’s not enough spots for certain activities so not everyone can volunteer, because sometimes the people running it just don’t need so many volunteers,” Paparone said. “But it really shows how interactive and generous LZ is, the fact that so many people want to help out and maybe make a difference.”

Despite Interact’s challenges, Wold recommends the club for anyone looking for a positive high school experience.

“It’ll really change your perspective on things, because it’s made me a better person as I think of others all the time and I’m  it’s something that will make you feel good, in that you’re giving back and you’re helping others,” Wold said. “High school is a time to grow, so you should challenge yourself and try to grow, and help others while doing it.”