Arrowhead’s Key Club is an school-related extra curricular club that has a goal of serving the school and community while building lifelong friendships. Each member has the opportunity to serve others, develop leadership, build character, and create friendships.

Sophomore Key Club member Olivia Zietlow said she “loves meeting the people and helping the community.”

AHS Key Club members participate in collecting school supplies for kids that can’t afford it, cleaning up parks and holding food drives.

Sophomore Key Club member Bella Krug-Wagner says that the club volunteers at runs, the YMCA, food pantries, and even the Ronald McDonald house.

Students can join by attending one of the meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at the North Campus of Arrowhead before school at 6:45am or after school at 2:45pm. Another aspect of signing up is filling out an application that you can find at the meetings, and submitting fees related to the club. Students interested in the club can contact Mr. Lewandowski for more information.

Students in this club are expected, by Arrowhead, to make it to each of the meetings, interact with the other club members and provide input and ideas throughout the year.

Even though she volunteers on a monthly basis, Zietlow can’t wait to get out with her friends on December 5th, International Volunteer Day, and volunteer at the Oconomowoc Food Pantry.

Members of the club commit to at least 10 hours of community service activities throughout the year, and are required to go to the activities they commit to do. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with everything and still do Key Club, but as Zietlow says, it makes it easier by using your study halls wisely and staying organized.

Krug-Wagner on the other hand says it is easier to sign up for the activities that happen on the weekend so you can have time to do your homework. Most students do two to three service projects a month.

Key Club serves the nearby community by helping with Adopt-a-Highway on the road Highway 16 in front of Sendik’s. Adopt-a-Highway, the same as Sponsor-a-Highway, encourages volunteers (including Arrowhead’s Key Club) to get the roads free of litter. Organizations or schools can “adopt” a section of a highway and are expected to pick up the trash, and clean up the sides of the roads.

Not only does serving help the ones being served but studies like “Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits” by Helpguide.org, has shown that helping people can help you too mentally and physically. It can help students improve their academic success that they strive for, in high school and college. Helpguide.org also states that working in groups with people of other religions, races and cultures can also help reduce stereotypes from creating or developing. Collaborating with others can train kids to be leaders, help them with their relational and teamwork skills.

Krug-Wagner said she “loves seeing people’s faces and how grateful they are for having us come and do the littlest thing, to us, like rake leaves in their front lawn.” One of her favorite things about the club is that it connects her to other people, in school and out, that she would never have met if it had not been for Key Club. She said she has “for sure met friends for life.”

Both Zietlow and Krug-Wagner say the love helping others and receiving nothing materialistic in return.

“I highly recommend joining!” says Zietlow, who is planning on doing it the rest of her high school career.