The Service Club at Southridge has been a cornerstone of our school's Service program for several years. It is made up of a passionate group of students, led by our service stewards (Hanna G & Catelin M) alongside the invaluable support of dedicated sponsor teachers. This club is at the forefront of our school's commitment to service and takes on significant projects through regular weekly meetings held on Thursdays.

Our activities are usually carried out during the academic year and place a strong emphasis on community service initiatives that are designed to create a positive impact not only within our Southridge community but also in local and global organizations.

The purpose of the Service Club is to:

• Instill a deep sense of empathy and a culture of caring by actively engaging with our community
• Drive positive change through the transformation of ideas into concrete actions in order to address local and global issues
• Provide opportunities for our members to grow as individuals and gain skills like leadership, teamwork, and a strong sense of responsibility

To give a glimpse into the structure of our regular meetings, members usually collaborate on what our current project is. We might be strategizing, organizing volunteers, or executing a plan. Regardless, each meeting is a dynamic and purpose-driven environment that truly represents and allows Southridge's service commitment to shine.

Each month, we have a new service theme that aligns with our initiatives - October was Food Awareness Month. As such, the Service Club recently engaged in a sandwich-making activity that was quite successful and enjoyable! With over 30 people helping out, we were able to make 50 sandwiches for a local soup kitchen called Surrey Urban Mission. This organization works hard to feed, clothe, and provide shelter for the less fortunate in Surrey. The soup kitchen was very grateful to receive our sandwiches, and said that the local community would enjoy and appreciate them very much. Southridge is very proud of all of the hard work of the students involved in this initiative. Many club members commented on how they felt as though they made a direct impact in someone's life, which is the true reward in an experience like this one.

With evident success in our first project, Service Club and the whole school can look forward to many more collaborative initiatives as we head into the winter months!

Contributed by Hanna G (Grade 10 Student) and Catelin M (Grade 12 Student), Senior School Service Stewards