Student 2 Student Hosts Supply Drive at Palisades Recreation Center

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The Palisades branch of Student 2 Student hosted a supply drive at Palisades Recreation Center on Friday, May 7, collecting new and gently used backpacks, toys, books, blankets, clothing, shoes, pillows and more.

“Student 2 Student is a nonprofit organization aiming to reduce inequalities in our Los Angeles area on a visible and appreciable scale through a series of annual projects,” explained Avani Desai, co-leader of the local branch and Palisades Ambassadors director of affairs. “Our goal is to provide meaningful supplies and necessities to students and families in need. What makes our organization so different is that we take responsibility for the entire process.”

Members of the organization handle everything from collecting items to picking up and dropping off supplies, keeping an inventory of everything that has been collected, and communicating with the families.

“Student 2 Student allows for flexible participation, and volunteers can help on all projects or only one that speaks to them—making Student 2 Student appealing for aspiring volunteers,” Desai, a student at Palisades Charter High School and resident of El Medio Bluffs, added

Desai originally got involved with the organization after being approached by a friend, Jonah Berman, who was in contact with the founder of Student 2 Student, Owen Lichtman. She said that her and Berman became co-organizers and leaders of the Palisades branch.

Her involvement with the program is to help organize seasonal projects that are catered specifically to the Palisades, which involved reaching out to community members, setting up drives in the area, focusing on the program’s advertisement and gaining new recruits.

During the recent drive at the Rec Center—the first ever hosted by the organization in the Palisades—Desai said they were “fortunate enough” to receive a wide array of items from around 10 people.

“Student 2 Student accepts everything we are given as long as it is gently used or new,” she explained. “If items we acquire cannot be placed with families for whatever reason, Student 2 Student will donate them somewhere else where they can be utilized. This process effectively makes sure that every item we collect will be donated and put to good use.”

The organization will host two additional drives this year. Between June and August, there will be a Back-to-School Backpack Drive.

“Our goal for this drive is to collect hundreds of backpacks and to fill them with school supplies to give to students in need,” Desai shared. “To form a deeper connection with the recipients, we encourage including your favorite book in their backpack and writing a note.”

The final drive of 2021 will be the Holiday Adopt a Family, where Student 2 Student volunteers will be matched with families who need assistance during the holiday season. Volunteers will be asked to collaborate with a small group and “adopt” a family in need, Desai explained.

“Each group will be responsible for helping bring joy this holiday season, whether it be through keeping in touch, providing meals and gifts, or simply just checking in,” according to Desai. “We will also create a live inventory of previously donated items that groups can reserve to give their ‘adopted’ families.

“Even though there are only two projects left in the year, there are still plenty of ways volunteers can get involved, and there will be numerous projects in the upcoming future.”

Desai shared that with the “inconvenience and devastation” COVID-19 has caused, she said there is “no better time to get involved with the community than now.”

“Student 2 Student is a flexible, enjoyable program that has the power to make a difference with the help of dedicated volunteers,” she said. “Not only can [students] earn community service hours, but you can help make a difference in a family’s life.”

Those who would like to know more or are interested in getting involved are encouraged to reach out to Lichtman at info@s2sla.org. Sign up for future project by clicking here.