Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members conducted a chapter service project on the weekends of March 10 and 16. The group partnered with Spring Hill Recreation center with plans to enter a state wide competition.
When initially reaching out to the Spring Hill Recreation center, FBLA member and junior Mohan Gera said he received an email from the center’s volunteer manager Sara Abdelkhalek.
“I was very excited because we were able to find an organization that we were interested in helping out,” Gera said.
Gera said once his group organized times for other FBLA members to volunteer, the team was able to get the ball rolling on the project.
“We were out there helping to clean and restore the area, removing dead plants, leaves and weeds,” Gera said. “We hope that the rec center will be able to put the space to good use in the future and hope it benefits the community.”
Abdelkhalek said the center was looking to build a new space for people to sit outside the pool area once it is fully restored.
“We were thinking, and it is still in discussion to put up tents so parents can sit if it’s in the summer or winter,” Abdelkhalek said. “It’s not finalized, but once it’s clear and clean, we can decide on how to use the space.”
While also making room for a new communal space, Abdelkhalek said this project will help remove evident safety hazards.
“You can imagine when you walk in a place, especially if it’s a rec center, and you find a lot of branches that are broken it can be really dangerous for people to walk in,” she said.
Abdelkhalek said by taking the right precautions while beautifying the area it will also better the environment.
“You want to make sure to have the right tools to remove the weeds because you’re protecting the land itself and the environment in general,” Abdelkhalek said. It’s definitely impactful.”
Abdelkhalek said she has noticed a large interest in environmental projects in general.
“Volunteering benefits [the rec center] and benefits [people] as well because [they] become part of a positive campaign.”
Gera said he learned a lot from organizing this chapter event along with his group members.
“It taught me how to become a good leader and how to motivate individuals in order to achieve a common goal,” Gera said.
Abdelkhalek said she was very thankful as well, commending Gera for his hard work.
“I salute [him] for [his] leadership skills,” Abdelkalek said to Gera. “[He has] done a great job connecting with everyone and [has] been so helpful. Everyone is putting real effort into doing this project, and I’m so glad.”
Before this event, Gera said he didn’t really know that chapter events were an option to qualify for the FBLA states competition.
“This is the first chapter event I’ve done for FBLA at Marshall, but before, not many people knew about them,” Gera said.
Gera said he believes his project will encourage other younger FBLA members to plan their own in the future.
“I think that after we started our project even more people began to do theirs, “ Gera said. “Hopefully we can do more events that involve the entire chapter.”