Spanish Honor Society teams up with local volunteers at COVID relief drive-through
April 14, 2021
Volunteers from Spanish Honor Society (SHS) partnered with local organization Hays Latinos United (HLU) at Chapa Middle School on Sat. April 10 to distribute free COVID relief to the community. The organizations worked together to set up a no-contact drive through in front of Chapa where they provided PPE bags, food, water and an opportunity to register for the COVID vaccine.
HLU was established in October 2020 in response to the hardships many communities have faced from the COVID pandemic, and the organization specifically intends to connect with local, under-represented communities. Since its founding, HLU has grown to receive funding and resources from businesses and organizations in the area, those of which go toward drive-through events such as the one at Chapa. HLU’s primary purpose is to provide and information and resources that can safely guide the local Hispanic community through the pandemic, which makes them a perfect partner for SHS.
“On top of being a great academic organization, SHS is a way to celebrate and give back to the Hispanic community,” SHS President Eliana Galan, 12, said.
HLU will hold more distribution events at local schools, and it is likely that SHS volunteers will continue to partner with the organization in order to maintain outreach with the Spanish-speaking community. The next event will be hosted at Camino Real Elementary on Sat. April 24 from 8am-1pm. HLU uses Facebook to relay information to the community, and further information regarding COVID vaccines and future events can be found there.
“HLU was heavily grateful to receive student involvement, and it’s important that we the students work with them during this time of uncertainty for our community. Organizations like HLU give young people an outlet to pursue a passion in community service,” SHS Vice President Victor Falcon, 12, said.
In addition to collecting service hours with the Hispanic community, SHS members are currently fundraising for senior scholarships. In honor of Selena Day on April 16, students are selling Selena shirts and collecting donations to raise money and awareness. Docs Drive-In in Buda will be screening Selena this Friday at 8pm, and SHS members can be found there selling shirts. All proceeds will go toward scholarships.
“Purchasing a Selena shirt is a great way to support seniors and celebrate a Hispanic icon!” Galan said.
