Engaged in Volunteering At Falmouth Academy

Students+deliver+the+canned+goods+from+the+2019+fall+canned+food+drive.++Attribution%3A+Mrs.+Swanbeck+

Students deliver the canned goods from the 2019 fall canned food drive. Attribution: Mrs. Swanbeck

Sama Zaman, Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered how you can support our community? Falmouth Academy’s Engage elective, advised by Mrs. Swanbeck, gives students numerous opportunities to give back around Falmouth Academy and across the Cape and Islands. 

In preparation for the holiday season, Engage holds both the Canned Food Drive and the Hat and Mitten Tree. The Canned Food Drive, which lasted from late October through early November, was successful. Each student was asked to donate five dollars or five canned goods for the Falmouth Service Center. 80% of the school participated in the drive, reaching the collective donation goal; the eleventh grade led the way with over 95% participation. Students also helped deliver the goods to the Falmouth Service Center, where local families can come for canned food and dry goods needed to cook a Thanksgiving meal.

The annual Hat and Mitten Tree will also help Falmouth families this winter. Students and faculty will donate hats, mittens, scarves, socks, jackets, and even snow boots by leaving them on or beside the tree, which is raised just outside Morse Hall. Again, all goods will be brought to the Falmouth Service Center. Engage asks everyone to keep in mind that everything must be new — however hand-knitted items are always welcome. The Hat and Mitten Tree is up now and will remain through December 18th.

Students deliver the hat and mittens from the 2016 hat and mitten tree. Attribution: Mrs. Swanbeck

The holiday season also brings Hugs and Kisses, a school tradition students and faculty members always anticipate. Members of the Falmouth Academy community will send Hershey’s hugs (white chocolate) or kisses (milk chocolate) to each other by filling out a form and selecting which friends they’d like to send candies to, and how many of each candy they’d like to send. Students and faculty can give candies to the whole school, an entire grade, or to individuals. Each hug or kiss costs ten cents, and all of the proceeds are divided between several charities. In past years, the proceeds have gone to various organizations, including Mozambique Relief and Choice Humanitarian. After school on Friday, December 13th, students will have the opportunity to take part in the Hugs and Kisses Sorting Party, where they will split up into groups and fill all the orders of hugs and kisses to be delivered throughout the entire FA community on December 20th. 

Importantly, “Students don’t necessarily need to be part of any group to give back,” says Mrs. Swanbeck. The elective works to give students outside of Engage opportunities to give back to their community. The opportunities the elective provides are a great starting point to help our greater Falmouth community.