Wilmington Friends School stresses the importance of completing community service which is why our students enjoy planning events to help others. The purpose of many clubs at school centers on helping those in need. For example, the Boys and Girls Club is a program that helps young children from underprivileged areas of Wilmington. Friends is in a chapter in their mentoring program, so students from WFS go to the club to mentor the children. The club is in the inner city area of Wilmington, and functions as a daycare for kids whose parents work all day and cannot take care of them during the day. The mentoring program is part of the after school activities that the children there engage in.

Many children in Wilmington grow up poor and in need of someone other than their parents to help them financially along the journey. High school students can participate in Mike’s Team, in the WFS chapter, where they mentor inner city children. This club had an incredible effect on both the students and the kids. Once they are done their eight weeks of mentoring, many realize the impact of the service in which they completed. Behnaz Varamini, Upper School Coordinator  of the Mike’s Team WFS chapter, said when asked about the change she saw in the volunteers, “The biggest difference I have seen in the student mentors is in their compassion and increased empathy.  Being a part of Mike’s Team at the Brown Club has opened up their eyes to what boys and girls, some of whom live just 10 minutes away, experience each day, and how much just being there for them can make a difference.” The club has made a big difference in many students lives. The Boys and Girls Club is an incredible service opportunity. This club has had such an effect on the WFS mentors that they planned a service event to raise money for the club, so that they can continue on their amazing path of helping kids realize their true potential. This club not only affects the students, but it also affects the children.

Another example of service that Friends participates in is the blood drive. Each year, more than five million Americans need blood transfusions. The number of blood transfusions is only a fraction of the other causes that require blood. For years, the Blood Bank of Delmarva has encouraged teens and teachers at Friends to donate blood. The drive occurs each year on a date in between sports seasons. This is due to the fact that after donating blood, one must wait 24 hours before participating in vigorous physical activity. This year the blood drive was held on February 26th. Any student who is over seventeen-year-old and 110 pounds was encouraged to participate. Friends holds the drive in the West Gym each year, where four or five phlebotomists—people specialized in drawing blood—have beds for the donors set up. Before being able to donate blood, a computerized test is taken so the organization can be sure that the blood they are collecting is high quality. Some examples of questions asked regard factors such as if one has been out of the United States within a certain time period. The whole process is said to take about an hour, including waiting in line and taking the test. The blood collecting alone takes about fifteen minutes. After getting blood taken, it is crucial for the donor to stay in the gym and wait about another fifteen minutes to ensure that he or she is stable before returning to class. The Blood Bank especially encourages teenagers because if someone is able to start the procedure while at a younger age, they will continue to donate when the opportunity is available. Sarah Stock-Patterson, who has donated blood since high school, is one of the many people to promote the community to participate in the blood drive. When asked about her views on the drive, she said, “I was scared that it was going to hurt at first but it ended up not bothering me whatsoever, and I have been giving blood since then because I got a positive experience in high school.” The mission of The Blood Bank of Delmarva is to serve the community by donating healthy, high quality blood to patients and hospitals. Donating blood is a great opportunity for anyone to possibly save ones life, which is why it is such a great thing to be a part of.

The Blood Drive and the Boys and Girls club provide an excellent opportunity for students to help out the community. Although the club and drive have very different purposes, they both focus on helping those in need. Though these are the only two focused on in this article, there are plenty of other ways that Friends students help out the Wilmington community. Whether it is the Blood Drive or the Boys and Girls Club, Friends excels in providing opportunities for students to help out the community while showing those the benefits of service.