Throughout the year, members of the Social Impact Board (SIB) gather around to film short videos raising awareness for and encouraging students to participate in school drives.
“I would say that the goal of Hockaday’s social Impact Board is to get our student body involved in service in a way that’s personally meaningful to them, so they can contribute to the community,” senior Board Assistant Chair Jordan Lacsamana said.
As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, SIB encourages students to reflect on their own situations compared to less fortunate families and find a way for others to have a memorable holiday experience.
“I feel like it’s always important to give back but especially during the holiday season when everyone’s surrounded by their loved ones and giving each other gifts,” sophomore Board member Julianne Myhre said. “It’s also important to acknowledge how others might not be feeling as happy or joyful as you are, so I feel like we need to spread that.”
Specifically, SIB has coordinated the Coat Drive and Candy Drive this year to collect donations for Hockaday’s partner organizations.
“In Dallas, students can’t go outside at recess if they don’t have a jacket on when it gets below a certain temperature, usually somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees,” Co-Sponsor Laura Laywell said. “The schools that we partner with for tutoring reach out and let us know how many coats they need in their care closet so the so the students can still enjoy recess and playtime at school.”
In addition, as winter grows nearer, SIB will host the annual Gift Drive to collect Christmas presents for kids in different families and participate in their Scottish Rite Christmas tree tradition.
“We’ll decorate ornaments and make different decorations for the tree,” Lacsamana said. “Then, we’ll go to the hospital and hang them up on the tree so the kids can go enjoy them, and it helps make the seasons more festive especially because being in the hospital at this time of year can be gloomy.”
When it comes to volunteering over the holidays, SIB recommends that students determine their sense of purpose when considering different opportunities.
“I would say the most impactful [way to volunteer] would be volunteering with an organization or cause that you truly care about, because that’s connecting to your sense of purpose,” Laywell said. “Also always asking what you can do to be helpful to community partners helps build empathy.
