December 7, 2006

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Cheerleaders overwhelmed by donations of warm clothes for homeless

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

This past Sunday, Leland High School cheerleaders collected so much warm clothing for the homeless in front of Safeway on Almaden Expressway that they decided to stay at their post a couple of hours longer than planned.

Leland High School cheerleaders Molly Bowman, Kerry Somer, Leslie Danek, Sonora Vanderberg, Kristina Stitch, Miranda Gahagan and Mackenzie Lees collected warm clothing items for the homeless last Sunday. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Kristina Stich, a cheerleader and daughter of Maria Stitch, who has collected blankets, sleeping bags, coats, sweatshirts and other cold-weather items for the homeless of San Jose at her home, thought that the squad could help with the effort. She took her idea to Leland coach adviser Meg Maclise, who helped organize the team.

“Even Principal Setterland brought a big bag of items,” said Leland High School cheerleader Leslie Danek. “A lot of people have left off items. Maria already came once and picked up all the items we collected already.”

While receiving the community’s good cheer, the cheerleaders decided that they would make a blanket for the homeless.

“We’ve had a lot of people already even though it’s only 10:30,” said Kristina Stich Sunday morning. “We’re doing really well.” Shoppers also donated change as they left Starbucks Coffee and Safeway.

Stich had so many donations, and the night was so cold, that she called another cheer mom who has a big pickup truck and the two families headed down to St. James Park in downtown San Jose Sunday night to hand out blankets and jackets to thankful recipients.

Stitch’s warm clothing drive will continue through Dec. 24. On Dec. 25, Stich, along with her daughters, Kristina, 15, Alyssa, 19 and Samantha, 12, will pack everything in a borrowed truck and deliver the rest of the donated items to the homeless in St. James Park.

If you would like to contribute blankets, coats, sweatshirts, gloves, scarves, tarps, sleeping bags or other cold weather items, please drop them off at 1433 Medallion Drive or call Maria Stitch at (408) 921-4104 or (408) 997-9999 Ext. 513 for pickup.

Philanthropic Leland student raises social awareness
about AIDS in Africa, child soldiers in Uganda

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Some people feel badly when they hear about a tragic situation and quickly move on with their lives. Others, like Leland High School senior Shaina Patel, are motivated to make a difference. After raising awareness and funding regarding child soldiers in Uganda, Patel recently turned her focus upon the devastation of AIDS in Africa.

Members of the Youth Philanthropy Worldwide Club at Leland raise awareness and funds for worthwhile projects. From left: Shaina Patel, Sheila Chen, Bernadette Troyan, Lindsey Friessmig, Elena Santamaria.

A natural leader, Patel has raised thousands of dollars for the causes to which she devotes her time.

“Doing what you can is very important,” she says. “When I saw the film, ‘Invisible Children,’ about child soldiers in Uganda, and saw their faces, I wanted to do something about it.” Patel realized that if she galvanized Leland’s student body, together they could affect lives. Through screenings of the film and emotive T-shirts, she shared the plight of these children, who flee their villages each night, walking mile upon mile, in the hopes of escaping from being forcibly enlisted in the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“Even if we just raised $300,” she says, “we knew we could help a child.”

In the end, she raised $2,000 for the Invisible Children’s Fund, which educates children in Uganda and provides them with a safe harbor. “Doing that project changed me,” says Patel. “It opened my eyes to what’s going on in the world and deepened my interest in becoming involved.”

Diving in this past summer, Patel attended Youth Philanthropy Worldwide, which guides students interested in global issues on bringing projects to their schools. This year, Patel started a Youth Philanthropy Worldwide club at Leland, engaging other students in her contributions for change.

Focusing on an orphanage in Zambia, which cares for children whose parents have died of AIDS, the 30 club members put on a week-long HIV and AIDS project, including a poster campaign, button sales, film screenings, guest speakers and an after-school carnival. But that wasn’t all. Coinciding with National HIV and AIDS Awareness Day on Dec. 1, they donned AIDS T-shirts designed by one of their members, encouraged the faculty and student population to wear red, led tours through an AIDS tent and encouraged students to sign a petition they intend to send to Congress.

Members of the Youth Philanthropy Worldwide Club aim to make a difference in the world.

“These kids are amazing,” says Student Activities Faculty Liaison Bernadette Troyan. “They not only educate others, but also provide them with a way to help.”

More than anything else, walking through the AIDS tent brought the epidemic home for students. This gave them the opportunity to find out what it would be like to walk in the shoes of a suffering child. “Your name is Aina,” they would say. “You are 9 years old. Your father is alive, but your mother died of AIDS. You have three siblings. You tend to get sick a lot...”

“We’re trying to raise awareness around our school about what’s really happening in Africa,” says club member and T-shirt designer Sheila Chen. Through fund-raising events, they hope to raise $3,000 for Children’s Town, an
orphanage in Zambia, which teaches children skills and helps them to lead a healthier life.

“We’re so fortunate here in Almaden,” says Chen. “We have sanitation, education and opportunity. In Africa, they have to walk 20 miles to get water from a well. But, there’s a lot people our age can do.”

Seeking School News

Do you have a school event to promote? Know of a student who has done something amazing or a teacher who has gone above and beyond what is expected of them? We’d like to hear about it. Drop us a line at newsroom@timesmediainc.com or send us a fax at (408) 494-7078.