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Peer Helpers host third-annual Kindness Week

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story by Katherine Green, photos by Maddie Knopke

Peer Helpers hosted their third annual Kindness Week, formally known as Anti- Bullying Week, from March 10 – 14 to create educational awareness about issues young people face according to Peer Helper moderator Amanda Johnson.

 

“We basically changed the name and tried to come up with a more positive kind of message, versus ‘anti’ something,” Johnson said. “We want to be promoting kindness. It’s still the same themes, the same ideas.”

 

Some of these themes that Kindness Week emphasizes besides kindness are raising awareness for issues that young people face, such as eating disorders or depression.

 

Another goal of this week is to help students see the goodness of their own inherent worth, according to Johnson.

 

During the first year Anti-Bullying week, Peer Helpers did not raise money since they were still trying to figure things out, and the second year they donated to the Megan Meier foundation. During the 2014 Kindness Week, money was raised to donate to the foundation “To Write Love on Her Arms.” Students had the opportunity to give a dollar to the Peer Helpers on March 4 or 5 to get a dress-down day on March 10 and 14. Also, on the second day of Kindness Week, March 11, students could buy a slice of pizza for a dollar. Students also had the opportunity to write something they love about themselves on a whiteboard and take a picture with it for 50 cents that same day.

 

To Write Love on Her Arms, founded by Jamie Tworkowski in March 2006, is a foundation with a mission to “to make sure people are informed about mental health issues,” according to the foundation’s website.

 

“Our hope is that sharing knowledge and truth about mental health will combat the stigma surrounding it,” the website states.

 

The non-profit organization raises awareness for depression, addiction, self-injury, suicide, anxiety, and eating disorders. Kindness Week also works to bring attention to these challenges that teenagers may face. Senior and peer helper, Emma Kelley, as well as her friends, suggested the organization to the club for this year’s benefactor. Peer Helpers raised $500 in donations to the foundation leading up to and during the length of Kindness Week.

 

“I wanted to donate to To Write Love on Her Arms because I’ve personally struggled with depression and self harm and that organization actually helped me through my journey to healing,” Kelley said. “They do some really cool stuff all over the United States to help people with all kinds of unique stories. I really love what they stand for and the way that they portray their message.”

 

According to Johnson, the club plans to donate to different organizations each year.

 

Peer helpers had been planning this week since January, with the four group officers, Grace Bullington, Paige Lankford, Mallory Radtke and Katie Hornbeck deciding the plans while the rest of the club put the plans into action.

 

On March 13, the club held an assembly to bring awareness to depression, self- harm, suicide, and other challenges students may face. At this assembly, senior peer helper, Audrey Muehlebach, spoke about her struggle with anorexia and how she overcame it. Another peer helper, sophomore Sarah Wunder, also spoke about how her friend’s struggle with depression affected her life.

 

“[Creating awareness is] something I’m very passionate about,” Johnson said. “ I think that this idea that people are different or weird or wrong, we really have to challenge a lot assumptions. I thought [Kindness Week] would be a good way to look at how we treat other people, not that we shouldn’t do that all day every day every year, but that we bring some attention to it during this time.”

 

Kindness Week schedule

Monday, March 10: Those who paid a dollar on March 4 or 5 had the opportunity to dress down in white to emphasize pureness and “to start the week with a clean slate,” according to the Peer Helper flyers around school. Also, mirrors in the school were blocked off.

 

Tuesday, March 11: For a dollar, students were able to buy a slice of pizza. For 50 cents students also could write what they loved about themselves on a whiteboard and get a picture holding the board, which would be compiled into a powerpoint.

 

Wednesday, March 12: During advisory, a white bag was passed around for each member to write something that they loved about themselves on it. These bags would be displayed at the assembly on Thurs.

 

Thursday, March 13: An Awareness Assembly was held to bring attention to depression, self-harm, suicide, and other challenges students may face. Along the gym floor the white bags from Wednesday were displayed. Peer helpers sophomore Sarah Wunder and junior Audrey Muehlebach gave speeches about their personal encounters with challenges they have faced.

 

Friday, March 14: Students who paid a dollar on March 4 or 5 had a second opportunity to dress down in the color that represented them.

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