Everyone deserves to feel love during the holiday season. WCHS’ Dawgs Against Substance Abuse club (DASA) is helping this become a reality through their holiday card making project for patients in drug abuse rehabilitation centers. DASA club members met before Thanksgiving break during lunch to to create colorful and inspiring cards.
“DASA’s holiday card making project is important because the holidays are supposed to be a time of love and joy,” WCHS junior and DASA officer Anya Nagpal said. “This can be hard when going through treatment at rehabilitation centers, which is why we want to spread a positive message to remind them that they are strong and to keep pushing.”
Since the holiday season is typically centered around spending time with family and friends, those in treatment centers often feel a sense of isolation. Even though it is a small act, DASA used their cards as a way for patients to feel less alone and know that they have people rooting for them.
“By giving back during the holiday season through making these cards, we are able to help reinforce the message that these patients are valued and supported,” WCHS junior and DASA cofounder Vicky Kaprielian said. “The holidays are all about spreading joy, and this card making project is a direct way to spread make the season a little brighter for both the patients and students involved.”
By prioritizing spreading kindness to complete strangers, DASA members helped countless rehab patients actively feel the holiday joy in a way they may not have otherwise. Although students most likely could not understand the way these people were feeling, their sympathy and empathy drove them to spend their lunches helping out.
“It is important to recognize those who may be in more difficult situations than we are, and help to support and encourage them in any ways that we can,” Kaprielian said. “Despite this being a simple gesture, there is a significant emotional impact in the kind words on these cards.”
DASA members hope that this project will motivate other WCHS students to join in the cause and help allow the club to have an even greater impact. The club welcomes any interested WCHS students to stop by and get involved with their initiatives,
“I love the idea of spreading awareness for issues and educating others on important matters and being able to take action, which is why I decided to become involved with DASA in the first place,” Nagpal said.
Although the project was aimed to benefit patients in drug abuse rehabilitation centers, WCHS students who participated also benefited through their participation by experiencing the rewarding feeling of giving back to their community.
“This project is a reminder to me of how much you can do when you come together with other students to accomplish a common goal,” Kaprielian said. “Knowing that a small act of kindness could make people’s day a little brighter is an incredibly rewarding feeling that never gets old for me.”
