At Hampton Bays High School, Interact Club brings high school students together to develop leadership skills and discover the power of service above self. Interact is a subdivision of the much larger organization, Rotary, a global network of over 1.2 million people who seek a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change. Interact Club is run by the band teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Halsey. She has been working with both the Hampton Bays Interact Club and Rotary since 2017.
Interact Club offers a wide variety of community service opportunities. Over the years, Interact Club has participated in beach cleanups, 5Ks for Mary’s Meals, food drives, San Gennaro donations, garbage can decorating, Habitat for Humanity and more. These activities not only mean participants are helping the community but also learning new things and meeting new people.
One of the largest community service events that the HBHS Interact Club participates in is Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps provide homes for people in need. Interact Club has participated in this event four times and plans on more. While working with Habitat for Humanity, Interact students have helped plant gardens, build door frames, put up siding on a house, and put in the flooring throughout a house. Every time the club has volunteered the build has been different, which makes this organization so unique. Senior Olivia Allen said, “Habitat for Humanity has shown how much we can do to help people who need it. The fact that this group is able to come together and build a house with love and community is incredible to me.” You can learn how to help families in need in many different ways while also learning how to make a difference in the community.
Club President Chris Clinton values his time with the club. When asked how it has impacted his high school years, he said, “Interact has helped me grow as an individual and helped me learn ways to make a difference in my community.”
Along with Habitat for Humanity being one of the main events the HBHS Interact Club participates in, this year Mrs. Halsey wishes to add yet another project. This project was inspired by her mission trip to Ghana, where she built wells in communities in need of easy access to water. This new project is called WASH Rotary Action Group. This group wishes to “envision a healthier world where everyone can access basic human rights of safe water, sustainable sanitation, and hygiene standards, thereby transforming lives and fostering community resilience.” The Interact Club is planning on helping this organization receive donations and spread its goals.
This year’s agenda for the Interact Club is packed and the Interact members could not be more happy about it. The HBHS Interact Club holds meetings every other Friday during the school year. These meetings take place in the band room at 2:15 pm and the club always welcomes new members.
