By Madeline Mafodda

Hi! My name is Maddie Mafodda, a current junior at Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova. Last year, I founded our school’s Red Cross Club. The whole idea started because my mom started her new job working for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Region of the American Red Cross. During the spring season in March and April, our club organized a hygiene product collection that would benefit the Veterans Multi-Service Center in Philadelphia. Here is my experience starting and organizing my club and this collection.

It all happened very spontaneously, but I don’t regret it for a second! One day, my mom approached me with the idea of starting a Red Cross Club at my school, and I was instantly intrigued. That became the birth of the Academy of Notre Dame Red Cross Club. 

The first couple of months were pretty shaky. I was having trouble learning how to be a leader, especially since I was a sophomore and most of my club members were older than me. However, with the help of my mom and Ellen Ginda from Volunteer Services, I found my way and ended the year with a very memorable drive – our hygiene collection for veterans. 

The whole idea actually started with a social media video I watched. It was a “monthly empties” video where influencers share their favorite hygiene products of the month to hopefully “influence” others to purchase the goods. My original thought was “wow, I’m sure girls at my school would like to share their favorite products!” I ended up bringing the idea of doing a hygiene collection to my club moderator, and our Red Cross coordinator Ellen, and they loved the idea! We started planning (almost) immediately.

The first thing I had to do was receive permission from our school administration. I spoke to our director of student affairs, and we came up with a game plan for the drive. We decided that the week after spring break would be the best week to have the drive. We also came up with the idea of assigning different hygiene products to different grade levels, so that there was more of a balance with the products we were receiving to donate. We came up with these assignments:

• Middle School – Body Wash/ Bar Soap
• 9th and 10th – Toothpaste/ Oral Care
• 11th – Deodorant
• 12th – 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner 

Second, we had to advertise the club. Club members made posters to hang up around school, and I wrote a speech for our student council members to say during our morning announcements. This really got the message out, and people started getting excited about the week of the collection. 

Finally, collection week came! We kept a bin with a Red Cross label outside of the Nurse’s office, because she is our club moderator, and the Nurse’s office is in a central location of campus. Over the week, the bin filled to a very impressive amount! It was so full, we needed multiple people to carry the bin to our car to take to the Veterans Multi-Service Center. 

After the drive was over, my mom and I drove to the Veterans Multi-Service Center to meet Red Cross volunteer Mary Harper to drop off the donations. Since I was still a minor, I was not allowed to go into the center to drop off the donations, but the front desk ladies seemed very grateful for our donations; they even gave us Tastykakes as a thank you!

From what I have heard, our donations filled many boxes that were running low or were empty, and that made my heart very warm. I shared this information with my club members, and they were so happy! 

The drive made such an impact on my club members and I that we already have plans to repeat the drive; I hope it continues to be this successful in the future.