Students from the Emerald Ridge Community Service Club enjoy giving back to the community. The club has 42 student members who look for service opportunities, volunteer at school and in the community, work together as a team, and encourage others to join them.
Some of the service events sponsored by the students are:
• Food drives
• Assist in the Daffodil Parade
• Clean-up events at parks
• Clean up the grounds at local elementary schools
• Support Puyallup secondary schools with supplies for students
• Plastics recycle drive
• Set-up, clean-up, and greeting at the Emerald Ridge events
The service club students were honored with the Single Service Bronze Award for 2021-2022 during the Pacific Northwest Key Club District Convention held on March 11-13. The ERHS Community Service Club is a combination of Puyallup Kiwanis Key Club and South Hill Rotary Interact Club.
They were recognized for collecting more than 5,000 food and toiletry items to serve Puyallup families in need during the Stuff the Bus drive which took place at Emerald Ridge on September 23, 2021. In addition to the drive, the club has been supplying many items, including diapers and formula, to the Puyallup Digital Learning Program held at the Kessler Center and additionally have set up pantries at several secondary schools to supply food and toiletry items for students in need during the day and to fill Friday Backpacks for students to take home.
The students also held a plastics drive this year, where they collected over 500 pounds of tear able plastics. The plastics were weighed and brought to Home Depot, where the 500+ pounds turned in earned them a free Trex Deck bench made of plastics. The bench will be placed in front of Emerald Ridge.
“The pandemic never stopped our ERHS Community Service Club Members, in fact, they stepped it up!” said Emerald Ridge Career Specialist Patti McMullan. During April and May the club is partnering with South Hill Rotary’s Storywalk Installation, Daffodil Parade, Farm 12 Gala, YMCA Happy Kids Event, and a park cleanup.