What is this activity?

Stuyvesant Red Cross is a volunteer club that provides hundreds of volunteer opportunities for all students at Stuyvesant High School throughout the whole year. With over five hundred members, we seek to connect people with their community and help them give back to their community in the most convenient ways; members aren’t required to volunteer but if they want to, they can pick any event on any day in any location throughout the city. In Stuyvesant, our members have been tour guides at Open House, we’ve assisted teachers during Parent Teacher Conferences, and we’ve also been continually hosting our popular and informational annual Health Fair. However, we also want volunteers to expand their influences and networks beyond the walls of Stuyvesant, thus we’ve refereed for wheelchair basketball tournaments, raised money for international, national and local disasters, and participated in walks and races, such as the AIDS Walk. Finally, we want to provide numerous opportunities for Stuyvesant students to meet even more of each other and make new friends while carrying out meaningful activities together.

On what days does this activity meet?

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

What is the meeting schedule?

Our club hosts multiple volunteering events per month, typically anywhere from 10 to 15 events, in which members are allowed to go to as many or as few events as they would like to. We volunteer throughout the week, whether it's right after school or on the weekends, and we continue volunteering in the summertime. We may also host events during school breaks. No events are necessary and everyone is welcome to all of them, but some events may be capped so only a certain number of people can go (first come first serve).

What does a typical meeting look like?

A typical meeting, or volunteering event, really depends on which type of event you are going to. For all events, the respective leaders will send out information regarding the date, time, and location and all the volunteers will go there. Once volunteers arrive at an event, whether it's out in the city, in school, or virtual, they will have to find the respective leader in order to sign in and be given a task. The activities done at each event are different, because we reach out to all types of organizations and causes to support, so here are some examples. If it's a city event, like a race, the tasks can range from setting up the tents to cheering on runners at the finish line. If it's virtual, tasks can include making educational slideshows. If it's in school, the task can be helping pack candy bags or checking in attendees at alumni reunions. Most volunteering events are in person and last anywhere from 2 to 8 hours. The events are enjoyable (even when it rains!) as volunteers get to meet new people, make friends, and are often motivated to continue going to more events after the first one. Capped events have limited space for volunteers. Usually, volunteers for capped events are chosen on a first come first serve basis. Uncapped events have no amount restrictions; as many volunteers as possible can sign up for those events!

How does this activity appoint leaders?

Our club will have 2 Co-Presidents, 3 Vice Presidents, and 12-15 leaders. The leaders seek out and lead at least 2 volunteering events every 2 months (in-person or virtual), help organize large in-school events, contribute to bi-monthly event emails, and create posts on our Instagram promoting our events. The Co-Presidents and Vice Presidents, or the executive board, do everything the leaders do while also managing the board of leaders, directly discuss with school faculty about hosting events, take care of funding, host board meetings, and make major decisions in future leadership of the club.

What makes this activity unique?

Stuyvesant Red Cross is unique in that it is open to anyone who wants to positively influence their community. Students can join at any time of the year and they can dedicate as much time as they would like to the club. Students in any grade can become a leader, and begin seeking out and leading their own events, as long as they are devoted to our cause. They can gain experience communicating with outside organizations and large groups of student volunteers very early on. We are affiliated with the American Red Cross which means volunteers receive special access to American Red Cross events and the ability to be a part of a larger network in Greater New York City. We are the largest volunteering club at Stuyvesant, yet we are truly like a family. At the end of every year, we will host an Awards Ceremony to commemorate volunteers who have reached a certain number of hours. If you would like to be a member of a larger community and contribute to important causes, then Stuyvesant Red Cross is the place for you.