Stories

On January 29th, 2023, the 8th day of the Year of the Rabbit, the Minuteman Chapter of Student Corps organized a concert for Gracious Home Center in Burlington, MA, to welcome the Chinese New Year and bring some joy to the senior citizens there. 30 talented volunteers, ranging from enthusiastic five-year-olds to high schoolers, brought to the event not only musical performances of both Chinese folk tunes like 彩云追月 (“Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon”) and Western pieces like a butterfly dance, a magic show, and a martial arts performance, all praised thoroughly by the staff and attendees. Thank you to all who participated in and helped organize this event; we hope everyone enjoyed the experience. We look forward to more events like this in the future and hope to make this concert a yearly occurrence!

Written by Owen He

In the past month, the Unity Community chapter went to the Auburndale park and the Lexington resevoir for two trash pickup events. As a result of everyone’s hard work, we collected over 16 pounds of trash. Thank you to all who participated despite the harsh cold and weather conditions. Our chapter is very happy to make our planet a better place!

Written by Emma Lu

Before Christmas, the Minuteman Chapter delivered more than 70 holiday cards to Youville Place Lexington as well as a gift basket for its valuable staff. Thank you to everyone who participated, and happy holidays! Below are some images of volunteer-made cards and delivering them to the senior center. We look forward to seeing our volunteers at our next event at the end of January 2023!

Written by Owen He

On Saturday, December 17, the Minuteman Chapter held an origami-making and team-building session for their annual holiday card drive. Their goal was to give the seniors at Youville Place in Lexington, MA, some more holiday joy. The event was held at the Lexington Community Center, in which our thirteen volunteers, ranging from second graders to high school juniors, created more than 70 colorful and thoughtfully made origami pieces while socializing and enjoying snacks and drinks. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, and the Chapter wishes everyone a happy holiday season!

Written by Owen He

The North Kentucky Student Corps (NKYSC) organized two virtual Zoom meetings to study radon testing in residential houses. Radon, a hazardous gas with long-term health effects, is particularly notable in Kentucky. On August 28, 2022, the NKYSC invited Professor Hongxiang Li from the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville to give a presentation about radon testing and to lead the discussion among NKYSC members. Seeking to help the local community maintain good health, the NKYSC decided to provide families an opportunity to test the radon levels in their homes, especially in their basements, in order to ensure that their homes do not have a potential hazard. NKYSC members purchased different types of EPA-approved radon detectors to offer free radon test service to the local community; Summer Li, a member of the chapter, designed a flyer describing the radon test in detail.

On September 18, 2022, the NKYSC held a charity sale to raise money for Student Corps. The Kentuckiana Chinese School graciously allowed the NKYSC to set up tables in its parking lot. The NKYSC also used this opportunity to promote their radon test service and successfully made appointments with multiple house owners. Homeowners generously donated a sum of $100 to Student Corps.

During this event, NKYSC members also sold second-hand books and toys to young children. The NKYSC believes that books are a vital element to a child’s academic development and thus is willing to provide them at a lower cost to the families that need access to such a resource. The NKYSC raised $118 through this charity sale and previous ones; these funds were then donated to Student Corps.

All in all, the North Kentucky Student Corps hopes to continue providing services that will benefit the community’s physical and mental health.

Written by Oliver Li