Helping others goes beyond just donating to a cause; it also means you are setting up our future world for success. That’s exactly what Albert Lea’s National Honors Society (NHS) works hard to accomplish during their annual service projects. 

Throughout the year, NHS members work individually to do good in the community. For service projects, the whole NHS program comes together to make a difference in the world. Last year NHS’ service project was called “Project Fifth Grade” where they went in to work with fifth graders to mentor them and help them transition from elementary school to middle school and set them up for success in the future. 

This year’s service project is “Books for Africa”. This project originated in 1988 by Tom Wart when he was visiting Uganda. He ended up dedicating his life to donating books after seeing the desperate need for them in other countries. Later the idea of helping others in need spread throughout the country making a nationwide charity event with the goal to supply students with the resources they deserve. 

This project “Books for Africa” goes beyond just helping the ones in need and providing books for students. Participating in something like this also is a big deal for the members of NHS. Working together to make the world a better place is important.

NHS member Junior Ashley O’Sullivan said, “Knowing that I am lucky enough to have access to resources. I want to spread knowledge through the books that we are receiving”.

This project was chosen because each year NHS wants to keep pushing to do bigger things to help the community and the world. For this project, NHS is working with Riverland Community College to make it possible. Most of the books looking to be collected are of the elementary level along with some chapter books, age-appropriate and in good conditions. On Feb. 12, NHS took responsibility for gathering all of the books and packing them up. Later, they will be taking the books to Riverland, where they will ship them to Africa to be delivered to schools in need. Being able to work with Riverland on this project helped ensure the success and impact it will create. 

“The world is bigger than you,” said NHS Advisor Carissa Blizzard explaining that volunteering can impact not just the community but the whole world. 

Africa has double the population of school-age children than America. They have less access to the basic learning materials needed for their education. Meaning millions of children in the world have a low literacy rate. The world cannot grow and improve if the necessities to do that are not provided but with the help from NHS and their work for charities like these they are able to make a difference. The outcome that NHS is hoping to achieve from this project is getting many books packaged to send over to Africa alongside being able to appreciate that they are fortunate enough to be able to do so. NHS works hard on getting the community to engage on projects like this, without the help of others it wouldn’t be possible. 

“It’s amazing to be able to do all this sort of stuff because you just get to see how happy it makes other people and how appreciative they are of just the tiny things that you can do for them,” said NHS Event Organizer Senior Kyle Steffl. 

Alongside spreading knowledge NHS members are setting an example for future students who also want to make a difference. NHS ended up receiving 1,326 books. These service projects aren’t only about helping charity but also it allows NHS members to grow as individuals and teaches them the importance of helping others.