PESHTIGO – Taking after the Peshtigo School District’s motto “A Tradition of Excellence,” the Peshtigo High School Volunteer Club has consistently been one of the most popular organizations amongst students since its founding in 2007.
The club currently boasts a membership of 70 students, which club advisor and alternative education/vocational studies teacher Dan Vanidestine said has welcomed over 100 members at a time.
Vanidestine shared that the volunteer club was created to get students involved in the community through service activities.
“Research has shown that students who volunteer are more likely to: do better in school, develop leadership skills, feel better about themselves, avoid illegal activities, vote and become socially responsible adults,” he explained.
As the advisor, Vanidestine organizes individual and group volunteer opportunities, encourages participation in community sponsored events and certifies hours for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Tracking hours for students can be a sizable task as the Peshtigo High School Volunteer Club has been known to achieve over 4,000 hours of volunteer work.
“Some high schools require community service hours as a graduation requirement, but that is not the case in Peshtigo. This is truly a volunteer decision on their behalf,” Vanidestine said.
“When you consider all the activities vying for their free time (friends, homework, jobs and sports), it’s incredible to see them give their time to serve others in the community.”
One recent trip the club took was to Build-A-Bear in the Fox River Mall in Appleton. Students made stuffed animals and donated them to local and state charity organizations like the Marinette and Peshtigo Police Departments, The Rainbow House, Ronald McDonald House and various other homelessness organizations that serve young children to provide little extra comfort when they are in need.
Other projects have included working outside with Adopt-A-Highway on Highway 64 in Marinette and Peshtigo, serving meals at homeless shelters and taking monthly shifts at the Peshtigo food pantry.
Neela Sotka — a Peshtigo senior and president of the volunteer club — explained her favorite memories from the past four years of volunteering, “[This club] has given me and many students eye opening opportunities. My favorite part of the club is our Milwaukee trip. We get to help out so many homeless people and give them something to smile about. And at the Ronald McDonald House, we get to make bracelets for the kids.”
In addition to these local and state-wide volunteer excursions, the club has a variety of school projects that students have started and maintained.
The Locker at the middle/high school and The Kids’ Closet at the elementary school are dual programs that provide students in need with hygiene items, school supplies and clothes.
The S.E.E.D. (Students Eat Every Day) program is a weekly backpack food distribution system currently serving 100 students in the Peshtigo School District that is volunteer-run.
This program has been deeply impactful at the school, with Vanidestine noting, “Our staff recently conducted a Thanksgiving time food drive and donated over $7,000 in needed food supplies to our S.E.E.D. backpack food program.”
He also thanked Lofaro’s, the Peshtigo Food Pantry and teachers Justin Woulf, Sheri Morrell and Liz Monette for their support in helping students make the biggest impact they can.
“I am continually impressed by our students and how they freely give their time to serve others… I feel very blessed to be in this community. Our school district is very supportive of our club,” he said.
Reflecting on her time within the club, Sotka shared “If someone asked me about volunteer club, I would — with no hesitation — say, ‘Do it.’ Volunteering and helping are for everyone.”
Organizations looking to support the Peshtigo High School Volunteer Club or seeking help from volunteers can contact Vanidestine through the high school office at (715) 582-3711.
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