Even with the end of the year is on the horizon, many students of Vernon Hills High School are still very active in making a difference in their community through their school. Over the past month, the students of AP Econ have been running a school-wide charity drive for in-need families, putting boxes around the school for students of VHHS to put  any school supplies they are not using into. With the help of students, AP Econ was able to put together twelves boxes of school supplies, which will help children continue their education.

The charity drive is a yearly event that has been happening at VHHS since 2003, and has been organized by the same teacher for twelve years. The drive was started and organized by VHHS Social Studies teacher Mrs. Dircks, who was tired of seeing useful items being wasted, “It really started after I got upset seeing kids throwing good school supplies in the garbage, and I wanted to put those supplies to use rather than just throwing them away,” said Dircks. Mrs. Dircks started the first charity drive with her Sociology class, and has continued to run the drive with one of her Social Studies classes for twelve years now, AP Econ being the latest runner of the drive. She is dedicated to keeping the charity drive going, “Hopefully someone takes over [the charity drive] after I retire,” Dircks stated, “Because this is a really good thing we’ve been doing here with all the supplies we’ve been able to donate.” Over the weekend the students of AP Economics delivered the twelve boxes of school supplies to the Vernon Area Pantry, where families in-need with access to the Pantry can obtain school supplies.

While the twelve boxes is a great feat and will help many families, it is a decrease in the amount donated, “In the past we received fifteen to twenty boxes with each drive, but in the years that the Recession came around the amount [of school supplies] we received dipped, which is to be expected with the tougher economy and prices of school supplies increasing” Mrs. Dircks said. This year’s drive isn’t over yet, however; there are boxes in the foyer, LMC, and Room 2201 for anyone with school supplies that they wish to donate during or after this week of final exams, which will be donated to the Vernon Area Pantry this weekend. Despite this decrease, the drive is still a successful charitable cause to give back to the community, and a cause that will continue as long as Mrs. Dircks is here at VHHS.