SHP Red Cross Club Aids County During Storms

Now in its second year as a club and official American Red Cross Chapter, the Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) Red Cross Club, founded by junior Neal Chopra (SHP ’24), stepped up during the recent series of storms that hit the Bay Area to build over 100 sandbags for area residents.

 

Inspired by the school’s Goal III, a social awareness which impels to action, Chopra along with four fellow classmates and club members took advantage of a “rain day”—when school was briefly closed last week due to severe weather—to volunteer with the County of San Mateo Department of Public Works, filling sandbags at the Grant Corporation Yard in Redwood City and distributing them to flood victims.

 

“Being able to give back and help others is deeply rewarding, and motivates us to continue doing these projects,” said Chopra, who noted there will be additional service-minded projects available to its 50 members this spring semester. The club can approve service hours, allowing students to fulfill service requirements by participating in activities both during and outside of club meetings. 

 

Last semester, the club offered an especially popular activity to its members—CPR training by official American Red Cross CPR trainers; the club also undertook a large service project to assemble over 50 disaster preparedness kits that were distributed to families at the Siena Youth Center, a non-profit program affiliated with St. Francis Center that Sacred Heart has worked to support through a variety of programs for over a decade. The kits each included food, water, hand sanitizer, masks, flashlights, and a personal note from a club member.

 

“These activities were a significant step up from last year’s smaller projects during club meetings. The CPR training was a project we had been eager to undertake for some time—club members were able to come away from the session knowing how to perform CPR, an essential skill,” said Chopra. “Many members of the club reported they felt they learned something of value.”

 

While establishing an official American Red Cross chapter was a little more involved than getting a typical high school club launched, Chopra had a key mentor: his mother, who has been a board member of the American Red Cross Silicon Valley chapter for nearly a decade.

 

“My involvement with the American Red Cross dates back to my early childhood, when I participated in local ‘Sound the Alarm’ [smoke alarm installation and safety] events with my mother,” said Chopra. “Her dedication and the impactful work she has done with the organization have been a source of inspiration for me.”

 

To establish the club as an official chapter, Chopra needed to “identify a need,” showing there was a lack of disaster preparedness kits and CPR training opportunities in the area, then build a team of classmates to help lead the club, submit an application and speak with a regional club liaison to register as an official chapter, and undergo training to gain the skills necessary to run a chapter. After the club drew an “overwhelming turnout” at its first meeting—Chopra knew that starting it had been the right decision.

 

“I am proud to say that the success of our club is due to the dedication and hard work of our members,” said Chopra. “They all genuinely want to help the community and contribute to the club's efforts, whether it be through volunteering or organizing events. In fact, the idea for the sandbag project was suggested by a club member, Blake Hetherington (SHP ’24), during a club meeting… Through teamwork and quick action, we were able to organize and carry out the project the very next day. Key members such as [juniors] Andrew Spencer, Tyler Hogan, JJ Boesen, and Blake Hetherington have played a vital role in keeping the club active and helping me organize events. You can expect some super amazing projects from us at the American Red Cross Club for the rest of the year.”