This year, a popular club at Northwood has been upgraded to a co-curricular offering, allowing them to achieve more than in previous years. CARE, Northwood’s community service organization, focuses on supporting the Lake Placid community through small but impactful gestures.
This year, CARE consists of seven active members that provide leadership, including Griffin Beam ’25, Brian Brady ’25, Nora Fitzsimmons ’25, Emma Hathaway ’24, Jenny Tran ’25, Teagan Wentzel ’25, and JT Wint ’25. Ms. Lisa Wint is the adviser.
In September, CARE gathered and sorted a surplus textbook inventory and then sold or donated books no longer used on campus. Over Family Weekend, despite the cold temperatures and rain, CARE had a successful bake sale fundraiser to support Lake Placid’s local food pantry. Students baked cupcakes, cookies, Rice Krispie treats, dog treats, and sold hot chocolate, coffee, and Gatorade. Jenny Tran, ’25, says, “I love giving back to the community.”
CARE has also been involved in helping with the community coat drive run by Mrs. Wright and the Adirondack Community Church. They have advertised, collected, sorted, and delivered coats to the town nursing home and will continue supporting this cause through the official event date in November. CARE is also actively looking for local people, friends, and school neighbors who could use help doing chores around the house, like stacking wood and raking leaves. Their first task was to help an elderly man pack and move some bulky items when he moves to a new apartment.
Looking towards the future, CARE is getting ready to kick off a Halloween Candy Gram fundraiser to help support the Backpack Program, which provides food for local children over the weekends and holidays when they do not attend school.
“I’m excited to see our students getting involved and giving back to our community. My hope is that they develop a life-long love for volunteering and helping others,” says Mrs Wint.