January 2012 will mark the beginning of a three year commitment by The Hewitt School to the disaster relief organization AmeriCares. The Student Community Service Board, comprised of students in grades 8 -12, selected AmeriCares after researching a variety of international relief agencies as potential partners. By partnering with AmeriCares, our Hewitt community will be able to provide immediate relief in response to national and world events. The Community Service Board selected AmeriCares after students presented on eight different agencies within their group and voted. The Board chose AmeriCares by a large majority.
Established in 1982 by Robert C. Macauley, the global nonprofit, AmeriCares, provides disaster relief and humanitarian aid to those in need. It responds immediately to emergency medical crises and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs. AmeriCares is one of the top ten best charities in The Chronicle of Philanthropy based upon the amount of support it raises from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
The Upper School Community Service Board will visit the AmericCares headquarters later this month. Student board members will then educate our own community, including students, parents, alumnae, faculty, and administration, about the organization. We will have guest speakers from AmeriCares at Hewitt throughout the winter and spring as our entire community learns more about AmeriCares.
In the spring the students will launch a general fundraiser to mark the beginning of our commitment to AmeriCares. Future fundraising efforts will be determined by the USCS Board and the Student Leadership Board. We plan to fundraise primarily in response to specific domestic and international crises.