Volunteering is a key characteristic of the Heart Fund club. For club president Kirra Molek, helping the Ann Arbor community and beyond is constantly on her mind. This is why she and co-founder Jane Grocoff created the club: to spread joy and love throughout Ann Arbor. The club’s social media manager, Tessa Aprea, also contributes by getting in touch with students on Instagram and inviting them to join volunteer activities.
Last semester, the club had bake sales, toy drives and volunteering opportunities for CHS students. The profits from their fall bake sale were used to make Halloween goody baskets for kids around the area.
At Alpha House, a local homeless shelter, the club can sometimes be found playing with kids and helping organize items around the building. Molek thinks that it’s an effective way to help the community and a great opportunity for CHS students interested in volunteering.
This semester, since clubs have not been able to meet regularly due to a terminated contract for teachers in the Ann Arbor school district, Molek has been doing some behind-the-scenes planning for next year, trying to set the club up for success when it resumes meeting.
For example, the Women’s Cardiovascular Research Initiative, a nonprofit organization at the University of Michigan, reached out to the club to see if they would be interested in collaborating. The club has been volunteering and assisting them when needed.
“It’s something that I felt was very important to spread awareness around, especially because I feel like especially in the medical world, women of color are not seen as important as white males,” Molek said. “I think it’s something that people should keep their eyes on.”
Molek feels that this recent volunteering has impacted the message of the club, that the club now represents more than just bake sales and posters. She also thinks that the club has impacted her life in many unexpected ways, such as gaining a new perspective on the world and becoming more understanding of people in poverty.
“I feel like my mind has become more broadened,” Molek said. “Now, I’m able to look at different aspects across the world and see multiple sides of the stories.”
Next year, Molek says she wants the club to be more involved in drives for people in poverty and donate to more organizations, such as the Humane Society of Huron Valley or other homeless shelters. She wants the club to remain active in the community and help others in need.
