West Greene High School’s National Honor Society (NHS) asks all second-year members to do a volunteer service project in their community. The service project encourages students to connect with the community by choosing a meaningful organization and planning an impactful event for them.
Eryka Hackney is a Junior at West Greene High School, and this year was her chance to do a service project for the NHS. She reached out to several organizations in the community, but ultimately felt the strongest connection with the Salvation Army of Greene County. Eryka and her mom talked about the intense winter we are having and spoke about the heating needs of our local veterans and seniors. That’s when the service project became solidified in Eryka’s mind. Initially, the project was to partner with the local Salvation Army for their “Warm Hearts Initiative” to raise money for heating bills throughout the winter. However, the project didn’t stop there!
It extended to collecting materials for veterans and seniors in need, such as laundry pods, socks, blankets, body wash, shampoo, etc. Eryka arranged four drop-off points she monitored frequently for donations to pick up and deliver to her contact at the Salvation Army. She later put together a creamed chicken dinner to raise additional monetary funds for the HVAC needs of veterans, which totaled over $1,300.
When asked about her experience organizing this event, Eryka said, “Through my service project, I have learned the value of taking initiative, building lasting connections, and giving back to the community. It has taught me to be deeply grateful for every opportunity to make a difference.”
Eryka’s donations surpassed expectations to such a degree that extra blankets will go to a children’s non-profit, and over 600 bottles of shampoo and conditioner will support the Lions Club’s “stuff-the-bus” campaign, a collaboration with other local non-profits.
After being crowned 2024’s Greene County Fair Queen, it really is no surprise that Eryka is such a natural leader and providing a positive impact in our community. She is involved in many other charitable organizations throughout Greene County, as well as supporting her classmates during their endeavors with their NHS service projects. Eryka’s service project at West Greene High School made connections through our local community by joining with an organization, but in the end, she is helping many organizations with her hard work and skills, while getting people to come together to donate items.
If you would like to be involved in Eryka’s service project through the Salvation Army of Greene County, please contact 724-710-8569.
If you are interested in charitable organizations in Greene County, this is a perfect season to become involved in volunteer work and help a local group!
