National Honor Society Service Project

            National Honor Society is a nationwide organization that serves to honor students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character throughout the United States of America. Among the many responsibilities of National Honor Society members is completing group service projects that benefit the chapter’s school and community. The students of the Melrose High School chapter of the National Honor Society did their part in serving the community on March 14 and 15 when they volunteered to run one of the monthly dinners at a local food pantry. 

            While deciding on a worthwhile and feasible group service project is complicated and stressful, actually following through with such a demanding project proved to be even more difficult, but the MHS chapter of NHS was ultimately able to run a successful dinner that helped many underprivileged people from Melrose and its surrounding communities. 

A Servants Heart Food Pantry, where the monthly dinner is held, was originally created by Joan Dean and Shirley Samson to give out food necessities to those in need and it now serve over 200 families every month. This is what the food pantry is most known for in Melrose as the majority of the food collected at sports games, food drives and holiday collections goes directly to A Servants Heart and is given out every week. In addition to food that families may take home for the week, the food pantry also holds a community dinner once a month to serve a free meal to the families and individuals it serves, and it is this service that the NHS decided to help with.      

            These twenty-eight Melrose High School leaders decided that they would help plan and set up for the dinner, cook the food, serve the meal, and help clean up afterwards. The dinner turned out to be a great success, serving more than seventy-five people. 

Additionally, members thought it appropriate and beneficial to create Easter baskets with toiletries, gifts, and baked goods for all who would attend the food pantry on a bi-weekly basis, making about ninety baskets in total. 

In the end, the members of NHS completed a total of one hundred hours of community service together. The project was a great success in both helping the community and becoming an amazing learning experience for all involved. By the end of the service project, NHS members realized that helping out in the community is not only beneficial, but also meaningful and even fun! Members were able to share laughs, tell stories, and unite as a group as they helped to serve countless individuals in the Melrose community alongside at the Servants Heart Food Pantry.

 By Betty Anne Richardson