Country Day’s Interact Club has a long history of service, most notably hosting a holiday luncheon for guests from the Men's Shelter of Charlotte and Women's Center Salvation of Hope for the past 30 years, as well as helping to run practices for athletes participating in Special Olympics.
“This year with COVID-19, everything is a little turned around,” says senior Madeline Bartlett, president of the Interact Club. “But we still are finding ways to interact with our community during this tough time.”
In early October, Interact Club held a letter-writing project to support residents of the long-term care facility, White Oak of Waxhaw. Madeline wrote in an e-mail to her peers in Upper School: “Due to COVID-19 many residents haven't gotten to leave their rooms and exit the buildings. With that, many families of the residents have been unable to visit, which has limited the interaction between residents with other people. It would be greatly appreciated if you could take some time out of your day to write a letter to a resident just to make their day a little better!”
During lunch, Interact Club members provided paper, pens, and envelopes for Upper School students to write letters introduce themselves, sharing hobbies and interests, much like you would write a pen pal. They also visited Lower School classrooms and assisted students in creating colorful letters and cards for the residents.
Country Day has a long tradition of serving others. In fact, Country Day’s commitment to social responsibility began with second graders who sold war bonds in 1942. From a very early age, we prepare students to be engaged citizens by examining what it means to belong to a community and the potential impact of a person’s actions. Through clubs, advisories, grade levels, and divisions, students have numerous opportunities to serve.