The Pay-it-Forward club gives students a way to give back not just to Londonderry High School, but to the larger community as well.
Pay it Forward does five events each month. Some of these events include the Veterans Breakfast (which took place just this past weekend), helping out in soup kitchens, being a resource for new students during step-up-day and playing bingo with the veterans at the Manchester Veterans Hospital.
“Being a part of Pay-it-Forward has made me be more appreciative about everything that I have,” senior Annika Lidster said. “It’s also shown me how to be more understanding of people.”
House 4 Assistant Principal Ms. Sullivan said she created the club because once she became an administrator she wanted to give back to the school.
One of these ways the group gives back is by hosting the “Veterans Breakfast” each year. The group spends weeks collecting baskets created by clubs and organizations from around the district, and they then present each veteran with their own basket at the breakfast. The students who attend the event spend the day talking to veterans and listening to all their stories.
“We want the Veterans walking away feeling like the Londonderry School District appreciates them,” Sullivan said.“Hosting the veterans breakfast is a good way to honor the veterans and their services.”
Another event Pay-it-Forward takes part in is “Safety and Driving Awareness Day.” This event, which is put on the by the state to let parents and teens about the safety of driving, was sophomore Josh Galluzzo’s first event as a member of Pay-it-Forward. Galluzzo’s job was to dress up as a crash-test dummy and walk around for the whole day.
“It was funny to see so many kids and parents smile while watching me walk around,” Galluzzo said.
Members like Galluzzo joined Pay-it-Forward to help the community, but instead find they are learning about themselves.
“I joined Pay it Forward because I felt like I wasn’t giving enough back,” Galluzzo said. “But after helping, I have learned to appreciate what I have and appreciate the people around me because you never know what’s going to happen next.”
The Pay-it-Forward club meets then-Governor Maggie Hassan at a 9/11 memorial this past September.
From left to right: sophomore Blake Melnik, junior Jake Parilla, senior Nick Salcito, senior Nick Scarfo, senior Brian Frechette, senior Merril Neiman, senior Dominick Federico, senior Annika Lidster, junior Caroline Russell, sophomore Josh Galluzzo, senior Allie Whitehead, senior Valary Shay, senior Erika Tsetsilas, and junior Maeve McPhial
Front: Assistant Principal Ms.Sullivan and former NH Governor Maggie Hassen, who is now a U.S. Senator.
