Meeting Recap: 12/05/16

Thank you all for coming to our pizza party. Give yourselves a pat on the back because we raised $187 total!! What a great way to end this semester of UNICEF :)

As for the winter clothing drive with Henry Mayo, we donated 222 articles of clothing! You guys are seriously the best.

If you haven't turned in your hour sheets, please give them to Mr. McKee in Room 516 before this semester ends. Any questions? Contact valenciaUNICEF@gmail.com

Good luck on your finals, and have a great winter break! Stay tuned for next semester :)

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Meeting Recap: 11/28/16

Thank you for the great turnout at our meeting today. We are approaching HIV/AIDS awareness month -- in fact, World AIDS Day is December 1st. Here are some facts about HIV/AIDS that we covered today:

• AIDS id the #1 cause of death in adolescents in Africa. It's not just africa thats affected: Today, nearly 37 million people worldwide are living with HIV,
• More females than males are affected with HIV. Adolescent girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, face higher risks of HIV infection. Low social status, household poverty, food insecurity, and poor quality education all limit opportunities for girls,(sexual assault) render them extremely vulnerable to HIV.
• 1.6 million new infections were averted since 2000. UNICEF strives to combat this epidemic through prevention, treatment, protection and care, as well as psychological support for children and adolescents 

Here is an HIV infographic we watched, as well as a personal story revolving the mayor if Namibia.

2. We are partnering with Henry Mayo Hospital for winter clothing donations!! 1 clothing item = 1 unicef hour. Please put them in a bag with your name and number of clothing items. This will be due on FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND in ROOM 516. This leads us to...

3. Hour sheets, which will be due on MONDAY DECEMBER 5TH at our pizza party. I got back from NHS, and Trick-or-Treat boxes DO count for NHS for one hour. If you need your hour sheets signed, please bring them to our last meeting on December 5th.

4. Our last meeting (pizza party) is on DECEMBER 5TH during LUNCH in ROOM 516. The cost is $5 for all-you-can-eat food, and all proceeds benefit UNICEF's HIV/AIDs relief fund and materials needed to run our club. RSVP here if you plan to come, so that we know how much food to purchase.

Any questions? Email us at valenciaunicef@gmail.com. We hope to see you at our last meeting!

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Meeting Recap: 11/21/16

Aannnnd the grand total for Trick or Treat for UNICEF is

$1003.81!!!

I can't thank you guys enough -- we reached our goal, the highest in VHS UNICEF history for Trick or Treat!! Guys, thats 2 WATER PUMPS for villages that need clean water. I was so excited to reveal our results that I almost broke Mr. McKee's projector screen (whoops). Thank you for every single one of you for participating. You guys are awesome.

The winners for our TOT competition are:

• 1st Place: The team of Jenny Elliot, Kristen Basilio, Priscilla Ramirez, Kelley Fredrickson, Shelby Lewis, and Lucas Clark, with a total of $144.74. 
• 2nd Place: The team of Barbara de la Rosa, Sally Reyes, and Nicolette Belliso, with a total of $54.04. 
• 3rd Place: The team of Alexia Choi and Kirsten Kieu, with a total of $53.78.

Everyone participating will receive prizes next week, along with the top 3 teams with additional prizes. For those who donated, make sure to get those hours signed: 1 box = 2 hours.

Hour sheets are due on December 5th, our last meeting. Remember that you are encouraged to fill 12 hours for this semester. 

Speaking of hours, we are partnering with Henry Mayo Hospital with winter clothing donations. If you have any old winter clothes (coats, sweaters, hats, etc.) in good condition, please give your donations to ROOM 516. Every item of clothing will count for 1 SERVICE HOUR, so be sure to put your name on a bag, along with the number of clothing items. These will be due on FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND.

T-Shirts will arrive in about 2 weeks, so if you ordered a shirt, please bring your payments to subsequent meetings. 

Our next meeting will be on NOVEMBER 28 in ROOM 516 during LUNCH. See you there!

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Meeting Recap: 11/7/16

Thanks for coming to our meeting today! Our bake sale at West Creek Academy's Fall Festival went successfully. We'd like to give a huge thank you to those who volunteered with us, and we raised $80 towards Trick or Treat for UNICEF. Speaking of TOT:

• ALL BOXES ARE DUE NEXT WEEK 11/14 IN ROOM 516!!! Remember that you will get 2 service hours towards your 12-hour requirement for each box. Please please tell those who didn't show up to the meeting today (who are in UNICEF, but of course, friends and family members are welcome to join us :)

As the theme for November is currently Children's Rights, we also talked about Hurricane Matthew through Sophia's perspective, as she relates her story on surviving after the disaster. In addition, we explored the situation in Aleppo and how UNICEF helped over 700,000 to access clean water. To urge Congress to continue their donation of $132.5 million for 2017, click here to sign the petition. 

It's not too late to order a UNICEF T-shirt! A big thank you to Maeve, Director of Arts, who designed them. For those of you who signed up for one, we are in the midst of ordering them. If you would like a UNICEF T-shirt, email us at valenciaunicef@gmail.com. 

Aaaannd that's it! Feel free to contact us at our email if you have any questions. Our next meeting will be on NOVEMBER 14th during LUNCH in ROOM 516, the due date of TOT boxes. Until then, have a great rest of the week!

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Meeting Recap: 10/24/16

Thank you for coming to our meeting today, as always. Here is everything we covered:

• We have a BAKE SALE at WEST CREEK ACADEMY'S FALL FESTIVAL THIS FRIDAY 10/28 from 4:30-7:30. If you want to sign up for a 1-hour shift or bake goods, email us at valenciaunicef@gmail.com. On the other hand, if you want to sign up for West Creek's Fall Festival itself, click here. There will be a chance that it will rain this Friday, so if anything arises, we will update you guys. THESE DO COUNT FOR NHS HOURS AS WELL AS UNICEF HOURS
• CONTINUE TO COLLECT COINS FOR YOUR TOT BOXES!! You're welcome to ask for coins from others' homes while you're trick or treating :) Remember: you get TWO SERVICE HOURS per box for a maximum of 6. For those participating in the competition, remember that Tyler and I will treat the winner to food, depending on how much the 1st place group raises. 
• Also, thank you for those who came to The Habit last Wednesday. Bring your receipt, and we'll sign your UNICEF service hour sheets.

There won't be a meeting next Monday because of Halloween. See you on November 7th!

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Meeting Recap: 10/17/16

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO TODAYS MEETING! Our UNICEF Community Engagement Fellow, Cambria Findley-Grubb, was very impressed with the turnout and that we're one of the biggest UNICEF clubs in Southern California. Give yourselves a pat on the back -- as cliche as it sounds -- we couldn't have done it without you guys.

Meeting Recap:

• Cambria discussed more about what UNICEF is doing to combat preventable diseases, give every child an education, and provide emergency relief. She also explained her position as a community engagement fellow and her activism within UNICEF.

• Don't forget about our FUNDRAISER on WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19 from 4-10PM at THE HABIT. 20% of the proceeds will be donated towards emergency relief for those affected by Hurricane Matthew. We will also give you guys 1 SERVICE HOUR if you bring back the receipt. Flyers can be found here.  

• Continue to fill up those orange boxes for Trick or Treat for UNICEF. We are shooting for $1000 -- we can definitely do it guys! They won't be due until Mid-November. Remember: we will give you 2 SERVICE HOURS PER BOX for a maximum of 6 (3 boxes). Of course, you're always welcome to fill up more boxes. These will count towards your 12-hour requirement for this semester. 

• For those of you in the TOT competition, don't forget that the winner will be treated a food item! Regardless, everyone gets UNICEF trinkets for participating. 

• It's not too late to order a UNICEF T-shirt! For those who ordered, we will have them out soon. 

If you have any questions, email valenciaunicef@gmail.com and we'll be happy to take them.

Be sure to come to our next meeting on OCTOBER 24 during LUNCH in ROOM 516! We have something exciting coming up (Hint: it's a bake sale).

We hope to see you there!

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Meeting Recap: 10/10/16

• We have a FUNDRAISER on WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19 at THE HABIT from 4PM-10PM! If you bring the receipt you will get ONE SERVICE HOUR. Remember: you need 12 service hours this semester. All proceeds will go towards those affected by Hurricane Matthew. Click HERE for the flyer.
• It's October, which means Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!! We are holding a COMPETITION this year. Of course, you don't have to participate, but you're welcome for the sake of some friendly rivalry :)
• Tyler and I will treat the winning team FOOD, depending on how much is raised
• All participants get UNICEF trinkets, ranging from bracelets to buttons
• Email group members (up to 6) to valenciaunicef@gmail.com
• Regardless of joining the competition or not, you will get 2 SERVICE HOURS FOR EACH FILLED BOX. (It can't be half-full)
• Our goal is $1000 as a club! The boxes won't be due until late November, so there's plenty of time for us to reach our goal. 
• It's not too late to order a UNICEF T-Shirt! The price is $10.
• Also, we have a guest speaker coming NEXT MEETING (10/17) during LUNCH in ROOM 516. Her name is Cambria Findley-Grubb and she's our Community Engagement Fellow for the Los Angeles region. She will discuss Trick or Treat for UNICEF in further detail with us. 

See you there next week!

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A Word of Thought: 10/3/16

Hello everyone, I hope you have a relaxing fall break so far!
We don't have a meeting this week, but I want to share something with you all.

The bombings in Syria struck Aleppo recently, and too many children are being killed. This isn't uncommon; this is something that children have to go through every single day. Worst of all, the bombings are deliberately targeted in hospitals and schools, the buildings with the most number of children. Without them, children will not have access to simple healthcare and education. Imagine being in the first-grade, not knowing when or where the bombings are going to strike. Imagine having to see the blood-splotched bodies of your dead relatives, screaming and weeping because the bombings took the chance for you to say "Goodbye." A six-year-old should not have to feel this desolate for something he/she does not have control with. This is absolutely, utterly sickening.

The thing that's so ineffable is that the 100,000 children affected by the bombings is "definitely the worst we have seen for children” according to Hanaa Singer, Syria's UNICEF representative. After reading those words, I didn't know what to think - I thought that despite five years of ruthless bombing, children would finally have a chance to breathe, live life, and pursue their passions. I was too mad, too angry at the world to care about the pile of unfinished work sitting by my desk. Children are being killed for simply living in Aleppo, and here I am, in the midst of figuring out problem #34. 

Speaking of education, here's an article from UNICEF that I came across last night. Children in Syria are trudging miles and miles to take their national exams and obtain an education, in addition to bypassing security and dangerous terrain. They are fighting for the very thing that we complain about every day, and their determination, through the dust of war-torn Syria, is utterly amazing. 

These children, like us, hope for a better future through education. By also educating ourselves about the happenings in our world, we will not only gain awareness but also become the next generation to fulfill that hope. This is why organizations like UNICEF exist: to raise awareness and to help children in need of help. I'm grateful to be a part of it, and I hope you are too. 

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Meeting Recap: 9/19/16

Hello everyone, thanks for coming to our meeting today! We had a really nice turnout today (sorry about the tight space!!) Here are the topics we covered:

• Since September is UNICEF Education Month, we shared the stories of children in South Sudan, who dream of a lifelong education, and Alexis, a boy from Honduras who seeks to reach the United States in search of a better life. 
• Our September 30th fundraiser has been moved to October, and will now feature the Habit. Stay tuned for the date!
• Our volunteer hour requirement is now 12 per semester. You can combine them with NHS hours, Key Club hours, and any club that requires service hours. In other words, you can use your hours for multiple clubs on campus. 
• If you haven't already, sign up for our Remind notifications by texting @v-unicef to 81010.

In addition, UNICEF is holding "Math Games for Good," in which we can win up to $7.25 by answering simple math questions - all proceeds go towards children in need of an education. This is also have an opportunity for you to receive ONE FREE SERVICE HOUR!! Take a screenshot of the end screen and send the picture to valenciaunicef@gmail.com , so that we can verify your service hour. 

Our next meeting will be on MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26 during LUNCH in ROOM 516. See you there!

**Thanks Michelle for these wonderful photos :)

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9/12/16: FIRST MEETING!!

Hello everyone, thanks for coming to our FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR!! For those who couldn't make it today, everything will be covered on our blog. Besides, there's always next week and the week after :)

Topics we covered today:

• UNICEF's purpose and what our club does to fulfill that mission
• Introduced officers: Jolie Ren and Tyler Adair (co-presidents), Alexis Barrios (VP of Communications), Brinly Xavier (Communications Assistant), Neha Vyas (VP of Finance), Jane Yu (Secretary), Aditi Behl (Director of Membership), HyeWon Lee (Membership Assistant), Maeve Driskill (Director of Arts), and Michelle Choi (Arts Assistant). 
• Our goals: to expand our outreach to the community and to raise $1,500
• Service hours: 15 per semester!
• Our social media: We now have a Remind - text @v-unicef to 81010 to receive messages instantly (free service hours included!)

Interested in PVSA?? Email valenciaunicef@gmail.com to find out more information about this national volunteer award.

Our next meeting is MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19 during LUNCH in ROOM 516 (MCKEE'S). We will show you video clips, educate about our mission in further detail, and walk you through our blog.

See you there!

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VHS Club Day 2016

Hello everyone! Welcome to Valencia UNICEF's blog, where we will regularly update on important meetings and information. This is Jolie Ren and Tyler Adair, your Co-Presidents for Valencia UNICEF's 2016-2017 chapter. A big thank you to everyone who checked out our (very blue) booth - we reached exactly 180 sign-ups, the highest number in club history!

Remember: our first meeting is MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH during LUNCH in the MPR. Subsequent meetings will be help in McKee's room (516), but we will definitely update you guys as soon as possible.

At our first meeting, we will introduce you to UNICEF, its mission, and what we do as a club to fulfill that goal. We will also discuss our plans for the year, our goals, the officer board, collaborations with other clubs, and opportunities for volunteer hours, which can be combined with NHS, Key Club, and much more. Afterwards, we will take a group photo for the yearbook. 

We have a Twitter(@valenciaUNICEF), Instagram(@valenciaUNICEF), Facebook group , and of course, our Blog. We will not use CELLY this year, since the new update requires everyone to physically download the app for notifications. All of these platforms will be updated frequently, so it's very important to be on the lookout for these updates. These include, meeting dates, fundraisers, upcoming events, and possibly freebies for volunteer hours.

 Follow @valenciaUNICEF

See you at our first meeting!

Our extremely blue booth (but look at our cool UNICEF pens tho)

Pre-club day shenanigans

During club day, with Tyler Adair, co-pres, and Alexia Barrios, Vice President of Communications

Aditi Behl - our Director of Membership!

Brinly Xavier, Assistant VP of Communications, smiles for the photo

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