OXFORD – The Oxford Academy High School chapter of The National Honor Society has long participated in its fair share of community service efforts, and 2014's group is no different. This year, the organization has sponsored a series of food drives with a clever twist that incorporates the school’s sporting events.
On Thursday and Friday, the JV and Varsity girls’ and boys’ basketball teams will be busy doing their job up and down the court while the Honor Society members take part in a philanthropic effort to increase the amount of non-perishables that line the shelves of two local food pantries.
Specifically, in lieu of admission into this week’s games, attendees can opt to pay with non-perishable food items. Each year the Honor Society holds the food drive and this year, it couldn't have come at a more crucial time.
With the increased need for those less fortunate to prioritize heating their homes over spending cash on food, more families are turing to food pantries and churches to fill the gap.
“This is just one of the many things that our Honor Society student members do to contribute to our community,” said Jane Ford, an academic interventionalist in multiple content areas. “They do a lot, including participating nationally in the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer which raises funding for research to develop new, improved treatments for pediatric cancer.”
In addition to raising funds for cancer and stocking local food pantries, the group of 13 Oxford juniors and seniors also acts as ushers at the annual school play and high school graduation ceremonies, man the phones of the Dollars for Scholars program, and act as guides to incoming freshmen at the beginning of the academic year.
For more than 55 years, Oxford Academy has been churning out Honor Society members, which expects a certain type of behavior and academic excellence from its members.
Ford indicated that becoming accepted into the organization is no small task. “To be eligible for admission into the Oxford Honor Society, prospective students must earn and maintain an average GPA of 90 percent. As another requirement of admission, members must also have recommendations from high School staff members as well,” she said
Members are judged on their civic activities within the community and leadership abilities. “Another activity that the group manages is the sponsoring of a family in need at Christmas every year,” explained Ford. “In a nutshell, they basically provide Christmas for a disadvantaged family by providing the meals, gifts for children and good sprits to the less fortunate.”
Aside from the obvious benefits of philanthropy, the students will have the ability to have membership listed on their transcript – an enticing bonus for college admissions. “It's a very good thing for them to have on their transcript; and allows them the ability to stand apart from their peers,” added Ford.
Being a part of the Honor Society acts as an opportunity to enhance leadership and allows high school students the ability the realize that they can help others and change lives.
“It's not just about having good grades and transcript endorsement; it's about doing good things and having the ability to make life better for others,” said Ford. “These students have a good grip on reality and an understanding that maybe some of their fellow students may be benefiting from this food drive ... especially at this time of year, when people are spending more money on heating their homes,” She added. “They're wonderful kids.”
Ford noted that all Honor Society students juggle academics, sports, the arts and even jobs.