Lincoln Park’s Student Council gives back to local communities

On a wintry December evening, members of Lincoln Park’s Student Council spent an hour of their free time at The Ladle in Ambridge serving a full dinner to people in need.

After dishing out pasta, hot sausage, meatballs, green beans, salad and fresh fruit, the 10 upperclassmen cleaned up after the dinner and spoke to individuals they had served.

Monday, Dec. 3 was the second time Student Council members prepared and served a meal in Ambridge to those in need. Every Monday, the soup kitchen serves 100 to 125 people and Lincoln Park is the only student group that volunteers.

“It’s a really great experience for them,” said Melissa Potts, club co-advisor and English chairperson. “It’s one thing to donate something and put it in a box and walk away from it. But it’s a whole other thing to be there, immersed in the situation and be able to talk to everyone and hear their stories.”

In November, Student Council organized a drive seeking food, hygiene products, and books. The Lincoln Park school body came together and donated almost 1,000 items to the drive.

Food and other items were distributed to The Ladle, where visitors also had a chance to peruse the free books. Items are also being distributed to the pantry at The Center in Midland, and books are being donated to eQuip Books and Uncommon Grounds, both in Aliquippa. With students from 80 schools and seven school districts, the service club does plenty in Lincoln Park’s home community, but also works to give back to other towns, too.

“We’re trying to do the most good right here, but also do some things to give back to other areas. We’re spreading all the donations around,” Potts said.

The main goal of Student Council and its 46 members is to provide opportunities that unify Lincoln Park and spread cheer through good deeds. In addition to building community, it’s also about leadership and there are development opportunities, Potts said.

She recently took four students to Lebanon, PA for the three-day Pennsylvania Student Council State Conference where they attended workshops and presentations. The National Conference will be held closer to home in Pittsburgh this year, the first time since 1982.

Students come up with a lot of good ideas on their own, too. On Thursday, Student Council partnered with Bat Cat Press to help grant a final wish to an eighth-grade student at DuBois Area Middle School. Maddox Hyde, a 14-year-old, is asking for Christmas cards after being told he has weeks to live. Maddox was diagnosed with the terminal illness neuroblastoma at 6 years old and has been in and out of remission since then. They set up a table during lunched on Dec. 6 for students to make and sign cards to send to Maddox.

Another activity the group is promoting is classroom and office door decorating. To help spread holiday cheer throughout Lincoln Park, students can sign up to decorate doors throughout all the buildings in an elaborate or simple way. Student Council also organizes the annual Harvest Dance, Winter Snowball Dance, prom, and community outreach events such as the Midland Clean-Up Day in the spring and the borough’s Holiday Parade and Light Up Celebration.

“We are trying to do and promote positive events both within Lincoln Park and the community while giving back,” Potts said.