Tag Archives: Volunteering

Grade 8 Volunteers at Alemany Farm

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Last Friday, altruistic Grade 8 students helped out at Alemany Farm.

Ms. Tart-Zelvin shares:

“We partnered with San Francisco Recreation & Parks at Alemany Farm, which is the largest urban farm in San Francisco and generates some 26,000 pounds of produce annually. The girls got a tour of the farm and all the produce it grows, helped weed and mulch, and even harvested some vegetables for The Free Farm Stand. In keeping with both Hamlin’s mission and the creed, the girls jumped right in to the tasks delegated to them by the volunteers. They weren’t shy about getting dirty or schlepping wheelbarrows full of mulch; they worked well together, had a good time, and their impact was noticeable when we left in the afternoon. When we got back to Hamlin at the end of the day, the girls reported that they were tired, but good tired, and that weeding had been a lot of fun.”

Mission Statement for Alemany Farm:

Friends of Alemany Farm grows food security and educates local residents about how they can become their own food producers. We strive to increase ecological knowledge and habitat value, and to sow the seeds for economic and environmental justice. All of the food we grow is given away for free—to neighbors, volunteers, The Free Farm Stand, and other groups.

Hamlin Harvest 2019

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For many, many years, The Hamlin School has worked to support families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco through a profound partnership with Hamilton Families.

Hamilton Families’ mission is to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Our largest event connected to Hamilton is our annual Harvest. This year numerous Hamlin students, parents, and faculty members prepared food for families currently experiencing homelessness. On Saturday (January 26), we made vegetable lasagnas, salads, garlic bread, and apple crisps. The following day a group of Hamlin Grade 8 students served the food at Hamilton Families. Altogether, Harvest provided nourishment for about 300 people.

The Saturday event took place between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and consisted of two work shifts. Between the shifts, Tomiquia Moss (Executive Director of Hamilton Families), Wanda M. Holland Greene (Head of The Hamlin School), and Sheena Tart-Zelvin (Hamlin’s Service Learning Coordinator), addressed the volunteers. Ms. Moss spoke about having a generosity of spirit: “Generosity is not just showing up and doing this event, it is who you are every day.”

Special thanks to Hamlin parents Daisy Downs and Rachel Euretig for helping to organize this wonderful event.

Ali Meneghetti ’11 Gives Back to Hamlin Theater

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Ali Meneghetti graduated from Hamlin in 2011, but has continued to be involved in several Hamlin theater productions throughout her high school and college years. Now a senior at Smith College, we had the opportunity to catch up with Ms. Meneghetti as she was working on props for the upcoming production of Arabian Nights.

What did you love about your time at Hamlin?

I loved theater, field day, the Halloween assembly, playing basketball, soccer, and running cross country. I also loved my friendships; I still have three Hamlin friends who I talk to and text with very consistently.

Tell us about your theater experience?

I loved acting in the plays, being various characters, telling stories on stage. I remember being in “A Christmas Carol” in 1st grade, I had one line, but I was very excited. I went on to perform in so many wonderful roles every year that I was at Hamlin. In 8th grade I hurt my ankle and couldn’t play sports. I started volunteering with Ms. Abbott, helping 3rd and 4th graders block scenes, do character voices and character walks. I enjoyed being on stage performing, but found that I really loved helping out with the off stage work. I loved watching younger students discover their voice; they found out more about themselves as they rehearsed their character.

How does your time at Hamlin connect to your life at Smith College now?

I’m the Chair of Student Programs at Smith. We put on weekly films, host speakers, live music concerts, and general events. My theater work at Hamlin in 8th grade made me a problem solver. I use that same ability now when managing the many moving parts of various events.

How did you become such a dedicated Hamlin theater volunteer?

I tried doing theater in high school, but the program didn’t have the same feel as Hamlin. Ms. Abbott was such an integral part of my life, I really believed in her program. In the space she creates, each student has the opportunity to shine and feels valued. Everyone in a production is important and has a distinct role. Ms. Abbott knows each kid and how they work. She brings a wonderful individual approach to a communal environment. I wanted to give back to a program that gave me so much. I will continue to come back and volunteer as long as Ms. Abbott is here. Working at the Hamlin theater is my happy place. I like being around the energy of the girls and watching them grow up.

 

Grade 7 Students Volunteer at the SF-Marin Food Bank

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On September 28, Grade 7 students volunteered at the SF-Marin Food Bank and participated in a Hunger 101 simulation. This experience was part of their ongoing study of food insecurity and homelessness. Throughout the year students will be learning more about these issues. Many students will volunteer with Lava Mae, a nonprofit that provides food, clothing, and hygiene for thousands of people in San Francisco. In the spring, Hamlin students will put their own problem-solving skills to work as part of our Rise to the Challenge project. For RTC they will conduct intense research and come up with action-oriented solutions.

As more and more people struggle to make ends meet, the need for the SF-Marin Food Bank has grown in recent years. On a weekly basis 30,000 families are fed by the SF-Marin Food bank through 450 Bay Area community partners. Before volunteering, Hamlin students took a brief tour of the warehouse and learned about the mission and overall operation. The girls worked for about 2 hours and packed 2300 pounds of brown rice and 1400 pounds of frozen corn.

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