With the holidays just around the corner and the spirit of giving in the air, the new club UniDay is holding different fundraising events to help those in need in the Dayton community. Started by co-presidents Amea Bretz (11) and Sara Joly (11), the group gives students opportunities to volunteer in the area as well as connect with their peers.

“What I enjoy the most about being on UniDay is the opportunities it creates to volunteer and give back to the community with my friends and classmates,” Lily McCloskey (11), a member of UniDay, said. “It’s a way to get involved in activities at school and it’s also a way to feel good about doing good for the community.”

The club’s next event is called Jacks Give Back, at which UniDay member Canaan Smith (11) will run a St. Anne the Tart booth selling baked goods to raise money for St. Vincent de Paul. In addition to this, UniDay will be collecting nonperishable foods and clean clothes from the community to donate to St. Vincent’s.

“People who attend the event can socialize with their friends, enjoy sweet treats from St. Anne the Tart and free drinks, as well as possibly win raffle prizes,” Bretz said. “[People should] come to the event prepared to have fun and enjoy their community while helping others in need near us.”

All Oakwood residents are invited to attend the event and donate what they are able to. Jacks Give Back will take place in the OHS lobby from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 26.

“My hopes for Jacks Give Back are for everyone who attends the event to have fun and for us to collect as many donations as possible for St. Vincent’s,” Bretz said.

Some members of the club also served food at the Dayton Leadership Academy’s 20th annual Longest Table Thanksgiving dinner.

“We helped to prepare and serve a [T]hanksgiving dinner for members of the Dayton community,” McCloskey said. “It was great because we got to see the impact we had through the smiles on people’s faces when they were getting their meals.”

Members of the club feel that these events can have a real impact on the community.

“I believe that UniDay has a tremendous capacity to enact change in Dayton,” Smith said. “Oakwood hasn’t had a Dayton focused club like this before and I believe that as long as we can keep the same energy that we have now we’ll enact great change in the coming years.”

If you are interested in UniDay, you can follow the group on Instagram at @_uniday_, or attend meetings at lunch on the first Wednesday of each month in Amy Ostdiek’s room.