Fundamental Things Club Rounds Out First Year
Juniors Kirsten Slaughter, Mikhala Eveland and Elena Wentworth wanted to start a club to benefit people in poorer countries after learning about the conflict in Darfur in their AP Prep World Studies Social Studies class sophomore year. Fundamental Things Club is what sprouted from this idea.
This year Slaughter and Wentworth took charge of advancing the club which Social Studies teacher Mark Foley sponsors. Fundamental Things Club has been meeting once a week for lunch all year long to discuss world problems and the best ways to help.
“The Fundamental Things Club is dedicated to giving the fundamentals of life to as many people as possible,” Slaughter said. “We want to provide healthy nutrition, an income large enough for all kids to go to school, and a strong roof.”
Eventually, the group decided raising money for Heifer International, an organization that sends animals to people in poor areas and teaches them how to benefit from such animals, would be an effective way to help their cause. The group decided to work towards the goal of sending a “Milk Menagerie,” which includes a heifer, two goats and a water buffalo. A family who receives animals from the Milk Menagerie and training would be able to produce gallons of milk each day.
Fundamental Things Club came up with several fundraising ideas, like having a walkathon or benefit concert, but the idea that really stuck was to make t-shirts to sell. Junior Zelda Galewsky, a Fundamental Things Club member, designed the shirts. On the front the shirt reads “one love” and the back says “and one cow, one sheep, one goat, one heifer” to promote the club’s goals for fundraising for Heifer.
The group meets in Foley’s room each Wednesday at lunch. Shirts are for sale in Mark Foley’s room. Red shirts are $15 and white are $10. For more information about Heifer International visit heifer.org.
“Any student who wants to try to make a real impact on big problems like world hunger, poverty, or refugees should consider adding their energy to our group,” said Foley. “And sometimes we have free cookies. Which is a bonus.”
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