MLHS Key Club's reach stretches locally, internationally

MOSES LAKE — The impact of a recent Moses Lake High School (MLHS) Key Club service project reached from Moses Lake to the Philippines.

Students in the MLHS Key Club recently utilized an international program called Threads of Hope to raise money to help poverty-stricken families in the Philippines, as well as local organizations and families.

At their meeting Monday night, the Key Club students presented representatives from New Hope Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Crime Victim Services with $300 worth of food and gift cards to help domestic violence victims in New Hope’s emergency shelter. The Key Club also donated $300 to the Friends of the Moses Lake Public Library.

In addition to their local contributions, the Key Club’s efforts also allowed them to send a $600 donation to the Philippines through Threads of Hope, which purports to provide work for poverty-stricken families.

The project involved Key Club students in Moses Lake selling bracelets that were made by families in the Philippines through Threads of Hope. The organization provides work for local families there, who make bracelets, necklaces, bookmarks — anything with threads. The items are then shipped to service organizations in the United States — like Key Club — which sell them to raise funds.

Half of the profits then go back to the Philippines to support the poverty-stricken families. The other half is left with the service organization to do with as they please.

In this particular project, the Moses Lake High School Key Club students sold 600 bracelets from Threads of Hope at $2 each. Karla Partida, of the Key Club, said bracelets were distributed to Key Club members in packs of 10, and they were responsible for selling their share of 10.

After sending $600 back to the Philippines, they decided to split the remaining $600 between New Hope and the Moses Lake Public Library.

“We chose the library just because we thought it’s useful for children to learn to read, because it’s really important. So we chose to give $300 to the library,” Anjali Sharma, of the MLHS Key Club, said. “And then we did $300 to New Hope Domestic Violence, and it just helps them out a lot. They need a lot of help, especially with how many families they are getting in (their emergency shelter).”

New Hope director Carolyn Pence and shelter advocate Nicole Cedillo were on hand at Thursday’s Key Club meeting to accept the donation and tell the students just how important their donation is.

Cedillo, who works in New Hope’s shelter, said the Key Club’s donation of food and gift cards was “a blessing.” She said victims of domestic violence who find themselves in the emergency shelter are typically in very bad situations and don’t have much of anything but the clothes on their back. She said many victims also have children and in a rush to leave a bad situation, many are not able to bring food and other necessities, like medications, with them.

“They don’t think about grabbing a gallon of milk when they are leaving a situation, or formula for their kids, or medication,” she said. “They come in (and) they are hungry.

“That is a big, big blessing when we can give them a gift card and they can go choose what they want. A lot of times when they are in domestic violence (situations), they don’t get to choose in their home.”

Pence told the students how donations of things some take for granted — like shoes, socks, or a warm meal — make a huge impact. She said many young children who come to the shelter are ecstatic to get things like new sweaters or socks.

“What we take for granted, they don’t,” Pence said. “So we just need to keep that in mind. They are very grateful for any donations that we can give them. When we can provide them with food and they can get a warm meal and they don’t have to worry about where it’s coming from, it’s the best.”

Library representatives and local Kiwanis Club members were also on hand Monday to accept the Key Club’s $300 donation.

Alexis Muniz, of the Key Club, said the library donation was important to the club's students because everybody in the community can use the library, so the donation can benefit all who utilize the resource.

For all the Key Club students, the Threads of Hope project was an opportunity to help families near and far.

“It’s just definitely about trying to help our community out and helping families in need and kids in need, and our library has been needing some help recently,” Ariana Regimbal, of the Key Club, said. “We are trying to do our part.”