The Women’s Empowerment Club (WEC) hosted a bake sale to raise money for displaced persons living in the Gaza strip. The club members sold items such as brownies, cookies, muffins and cupcakes in the mornings before school from Monday, March 25 through Friday, March 29.
WEC president senior Ryleigh McCall explains why the club decided to host the fundraiser.
“The idea that women [in Gaza] were having to cut up old clothes and towels and corners of their tents just to have something to help with their periods was something that really stuck with the club,” McCall said. “I personally am really passionate about the war going on right now and I know some of the girls in the club are too. I think we all wanted to help and this was just a way to do that.”
WEC activities coordinator senior Meron Abebe worked to sell the baked goods the mornings of the bake sale. Abebe explains what selling was like each morning.
“I would walk around with the poster just saying “want baked goods for a good cause?”’ Abebe said. “I would explain that it is for the displaced individuals that are Palestinian in Gaza.”
To run the fundraiser, WEC partnered with NHS to help supply baked goods each morning. NHS members could sign up and donate items to earn service hours. McCall and the other officers spent the weeks leading up to the bake sale preparing.
“Personally, I had to do a lot of research on how to help [women and children in Gaza] and if collecting products was the best idea or just getting money,” McCall said. “Then I had to discuss and try to figure out a way to make the most money because I know high school kids are hesitant to just donate money to things they don’t really understand. I wanted a way [to raise money so] that they got something out of it, so a bake sale just landed.”
Senior Nathan Anderson was one of the NHS members who donated to the bake sale. Anderson explains why he wanted to help the cause.
“Part of the reason was that I needed more NHS hours and I also just wanted to support the sale,” Anderson said. “I made two dozen cupcakes and a dozen brownies.”
Ultimately, the bake sale’s goal was to help the people displaced in Gaza, as the U.N. has determined it is a “protection crisis for women.” 70% of the people killed in Gaza were women and children, and according to Abebe, WEC wanted to help prevent more deaths like these.
“We wanted to do something about action, not just say stuff about how we want to help people, but actually do it,” Abebe said. “We wanted to raise money and help the people that are displaced there because it’s a really big issue and a lot of people don’t understand the impact of how it’s actually affecting people.”
