History teacher Jennifer Fernandez made significant contributions to junior students Erin Kim and Erica Chung’s non-profit, Hope for the Youth. On November 27th, Kim and Chung held a school-wide fundraiser for their organization. Their mission is to give hope to children from impoverished areas, giving them essential daily items and helping children in need. Hope for the Youth helps these children by providing them with education resources and donating to large scale organizations and charities.

Passionate for the project, Fernandez was a significant help in advocating and raising donations. Her four freshman classes donated the greatest amount to this drive. One of her classes alone brought in over 800 items of necessities. Her two classes combined raised over 1,000 items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, underwear, and other basic needs. 

Fernandez taught her freshmen a lesson in the beginning of the year that inspired this giving.  Fernandez said, “The first thing I want to do is tap into their sense of empathy and give them the reality, in order to fully understand history you have to have empathy and put yourself in the place of these people in the era we are studying to understand why people did what they did.”

She not only made the fundraiser a fun contest for the students, but also taught a lesson in compassion to her classes. She believed it would make them more motivated to want to help if they could be more empathetic towards other people.

Kim and Chung started their organization in April 2024 and held their first fundraiser in August. They held a bake sale at Joy Christian Fellowship Church in Englewood and ended up raising over $1000. With these earnings, they purchased backpacks and school supplies, donating them to Street Hope Alive in Paterson, NJ. In total, 72 backpacks were distributed.

Their most recent fundraiser raised many items that were later distributed on November 29. They collected necessities for two women’s and children’s shelters: Oasis and the Center for Hope and Safety. While the event may have come to a close, the generosity of Mrs. Fernandez’s freshmen class will leave a lasting impact for years to come.