Hannah Mayer (’17) has reintroduced the Poverty Awareness Club to Glen Rock High School.

“I wanted to make a club focused on poverty; not just domestic poverty, but world poverty, as an attempt to raise awareness of poor people’s problems, so others could be motivated to help them,” Mayer said.

Kathleen Walter, a history teacher at Glen Rock High School, has been a part of the club in the past and was happy to help Mayer start it up again.

“It’s been around. Hannah was really the one who was interested in starting it up so I said I’d do it again,” Walter said. “I had run it a few years ago. It really only happens when a student is interested in doing something.”

Students have expressed interest in giving back.  In the past month, the club has gained around 30 new members but they are always looking for more people to join.

“Hannah and I are good friends so she encouraged me to join the Poverty Awareness club, and I was more than happy to do so,” said Grace Williams (’17).  “I think our school could really benefit and help others by having this club.”

The idea of the Poverty Awareness Club is not just to raise awareness but also to fundraise for local families affected by hunger.

“Each month, we focus on different issues that are prominent in poverty stricken areas, and we raise awareness of them,” Mayer said. “One month we may focus on the lack of education that poor people face, and another month we may focus on diseases that poor people in developing countries deal with.”

For the month of November, the club will be focusing on hunger.  Their first project is a food drive.

“I wanted to organize a food drive so all the food donated could be given to a food pantry in Paterson or another nearby town. The timing is good because Thanksgiving is coming up,” Mayer said.