In the beginning of December, the Saxons Speak Club partnered with the Adopt-a-Family Program to help families in need buy holiday gifts. They collected a wide range of thoughtful and practical holiday gifts, including blankets, clothing, toys, toilet paper, candles, pillows, bedding, and family board games. Through this effort, Schaumburg collectively provided for fifteen families, ensuring that approximately forty children were able to wake up to multiple, beautifully wrapped presents on Christmas morning.
The club works directly with the Adopt-a-Family program, which identifies families in need within the community and communicates specific requests and needs. This partnership ensures that donations are intentional and aligned with what each family truly needs.
Saxons Speak adopted one family consisting of a mother and two children, while the larger Schaumburg High School effort supported fifteen families in total. Adopt-a-Family is an annual event, and Saxons Speak plans to continue participating each year.
Saxons Speak, along with other clubs such as Student Council and NHS, organized the donations by family and carefully wrapped and labeled each gift to ensure accuracy and care. Once organized, the gifts were delivered through the Adopt-a-Family program, which coordinated safe and timely distribution.
“Saxons Speak is a great space where I’m able to open up and speak freely about recent events in the world. The group is very friendly and the conversations we have are always insightful. With St. Baldrick’s coming up, I am definitely excited to help contribute towards one of our school’s biggest events through Saxons Speak!” remarked Ethan Gandhi, a senior.
Alandee Patil, who graduated last year and is now studying at Washington University in St Louis, said she was inspired to start the club because she wanted to ensure that the school had an open forum for all students to come, share their concerns, and work to make tangible change.
“I hope the club will continue for many years to come and become a space for students to work to improve their school, local, and national communities. My little brother starts at SHS next year, and I hope he and his peers are able to enjoy and contribute to the club just like my friends and I were able to do,” commented Alandee.
Students learned the value of empathy, generosity, and community involvement. They saw firsthand how their efforts could positively impact others.
“Service projects like Adopt-a-Family are important for high school students because they help build compassion, civic responsibility, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of the needs within their community,” said Mrs. Stojakovic, the sponsor of the club.
“Helping wrap presents through Saxons Speak was a great experience. It was fulfilling to see how a small amount of effort could directly support families who needed it. I think it’s important for students to get involved in community service because it creates a sense of purpose and fulfillment that improves mental health,” added Vishwak Medempudi, a senior.
“I enjoy Saxons Speak because it combines discussion, research, and creative outlets like articles and podcasts with real community impact. The Adopt-a-Family initiative showed how conversations can turn into action. Moving forward, I’d love to see more projects that highlight local issues and give students ways to help directly,” said Roy Marina, a senior.