Key Club and "PIF"

As I promised when you were so kind to send me the Pay It Forward

braclets, I want to share my story with you

For the past four years I have been an active member of the Key Club,

serving as its President two years. There have been many projects that

made me glad to be involved in a service club. Here is some information

on the one that made me most proud. This past year, I wanted to instill

in my fellow IHS students the critical importance of volunteerism. To

do so, I initiated the Pay It Forward Program, under the auspices of the

Key Club. This national movement reinforces the significance of

returning to others through kind deed and service, good fortune that you

may have received. To accomplish this effort, I engaged the full

participation of the outstanding young men and women that compose the

IHS Key Club, under Mr. Eric Wells, our moderator.

How did we make Pay It Forward have an Independence, Ohio identity? We

did so by sponsoring a monthly event, which as the President, I had key

responsibility in developing and coordinating. Some of the civic events

we conducted this past year were:

* Fundraising for our programs: food concessions, Christmas

caroling

* Door to door food collection for the needy

* Donated over 65 pounds of Halloween candy for inner city youth

* Packed food for the holiday Yuletide Hunger Program

* Conducted a holiday Giving Tree, collecting gifts for over 70

inner city youth

* Collected over 500 coats in conjunction with the Salvation Army

coat drive

* Sponsored bingo with prizes for City senior citizens

* Conducted school wide collection and donated $1600 to Cleveland

Food Bank

* Provided volunteer hours for all Kiwanis fundraising events

* Currently conducting campaign for Shamrocks for Muscular

Dystrophy

This Pay it Forward project will culminate with each of the students

receiving a wrist band which reads "Pay it Forward," to hopefully remind

them of our mutual commitment to do so to others. Being involved in

this project had a profound impact upon me. Last year when I approached

my Principal and Key Club advisor for their approval, it was only a

dream that I hoped could become reality. Reviewing the extent of the

events mentioned above is just overwhelming to me, because it represents

a year-long effort in which my fellow students at Independence High

School displayed their generosity to those in need. I truly believe we

succeeded in demonstrating how to Pay it Forward.

Thank you Charley for helping make this all possible. As I move on to

college this fall, I will always strive to Pay It Forward.

With appreciation,

Rebecca Kapusta