By Alina Issakhanian
GHC Bee the Hope is a club that has given students the chance to bring positive change to the Los Angeles community. In simple terms, GHC Bee the Hope allows students to volunteer and have an impact in their communities by directly executing plans and teaching leadership skills, but it’s much more than that. The club, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, has helped many in local communities.
“GHC Bee the Hope was founded by the idea of helping the community and building leadership skills,” junior and president Nirvan Rayamajhi said. “I want to empower the next generation of compassionate youth to integrate kindness, generosity, and social good into their routine.”
GHC Bee the Hope is a group of like-minded individuals that create projects to impact our community.
“Bringing this club to Granada provides students with chances to gain volunteer hours during the pandemic. I understand how challenging it is for students to go out and find opportunities, so we bring them students instead,” said junior Bao Ngoc Nguyen, co-founder and vice president.
Over the holiday season, GHC Bee the Hope helped set up a toy drive, for instance, which is one of the club’s most memorable projects.
“This project not only brought joy and spirit to the holiday season, but also an immense impact in our community. Seeing kids receive their gifts and holiday cards made by GHC students truly made my holiday as GHC Bee the Hope was able to bring smiles during such a difficult time,” Nguyen said.
The toy drive was a favorite among many of the members. With this event, Bee the Hope donated 170 toys, accompanied by a Christmas card, to Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez for her “Kids First” project and Dennise Mejia, who works for the Latino Coalition of Los Angeles. Junior Dakota Duran, secretary and co-editor of the GHC Bee the Hope Newsletter, says this event was “one that [she] will never forget.”
“Through the toy drive, it really feels like we had an impact at the right place and the right time. Seeing those kids running around with new gifts and cards brought a smile to our faces. I am extremely proud to say that GHC students came together to make a change in people’s lives,” junior Rajanno Rahim said.
GHC Bee the Hope not only makes an impact on the community, but on the members as well. After a GHC Bee the Hope event, members feel that they have become a direct part in improving other people’s lives.
“I was drawn to GHC Bee the Hope as I knew it had the potential to do magnificent things and make an impact on many lives. I was close to Nirvan before the club started and I saw him participate in separate volunteer activities, inspiring me to do the same. He asked me to be secretary a little bit before Club Rush, and I was on board. I was excited to make a difference and have fun with my friends at the same time,” Duran said.
Just last year, Bee the Hope held several donation events. Some donations included Halloween candy, Thanksgiving food, clothing, feminine hygiene products, and toys, giving many an opportunity to have meals, necessities, and holiday cheer that they do not often have the means to access.
Along with holding events that gather basic and essential items for less-fortunate individuals and families, Bee the Hope has hosted several events that highlight mental health, which is especially crucial now, during the pandemic, when many are lonely. They have hosted several card and letter-making events for elderly people as well as people who are hospitalized and surviving sexual abuse.
Bee the Hope is also working hard during the pandemic to help those directly affected in terms of education. They held a book drive which collected over 3,000 books that were then sent to children in homeless shelters. High school students were also given the opportunity to participate in a resume workshop with a UCLA college counselor to better prepare for their future.
The club’s goals for this pandemic and in the future include education, health, community, responsibility, care, and change. With this mindset, they have already impacted more than 10,000 lives.
Bee the Hope keeps its members and community updated on their inspiring efforts through a monthly newsletter, put together by Duran and fellow editors junior Shaelynn Martine and sophomore Camila Castaneda. This newsletter can be found on their Google Classroom page or LinkTree, and will soon be available on their upcoming website.
Update: Nguyen is no longer Vice President of the club. The current vice presidents are Camila Castaneda and Arthur Mkrtchyan.
The Plaid Press 