The rain drums quietly on the roof, creating droplets on the windows that slide swiftly down, stop, and then slide once more. A little boy sits in the corner of the room, a blanket wrapped snugly around his shoulders. In front of him is a book that he leafs quickly through, a world of characters and adventures flashing before his eyes. The Piedmont Key Club saw the value of giving kids opportunities to have experiences like this, and that is why they are hosting a book drive to help families donate old books to disadvantaged children.
The club will have bins around Piedmont High School, Piedmont Middle School, and Beach Elementary School between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1, and families are encouraged to give books of any kind that they no longer need. The books are donated to Children Rising, an Oakland nonprofit that supports children in low-income neighborhoods.
The local Key Club helps give students at Piedmont High School opportunities to volunteer in the community by hosting drives like this one, fundraising for charities, doing trash cleanups, and more. It is a part of the International Kiwanis Club, which is a nonprofit organization that strives to do the same on an even larger scale, and to unite high schoolers across the state and country through service and community building events.
For high school students interested in joining the Piedmont Key Club, it meets every lunch in room 126 (Mr. Palsa’s room) in the STEAM building at PHS. Any questions can also be answered by Sabrina Olliphant by email at 25sabrinaol@piedmont.k12.ca.us.
