A Big Award and a New Year of Service for Rachel's Challenge at High School

Students at are meeting the challenge–and exceeding expectations—left by a victim of the Columbine shooting.

The Friends of Rachel, a volunteer service organization, helped make H-F the Rachel's Challenge "School of the Year" in 2010. The school received the award in June, bestowed upon a group of students who exemplify a giving nature.

This school year, the more than 150 students in the organization are seeking to uphold the honor.

Rachel Joy Scott was a student at Columbine High School and was the first person killed in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Her family started Rachel's Challenge to spread Rachel's desire to spread compassion, kindness and respect.

Cathy Frederickson, a special education teacher and one of the Homewood-Flossmoor group's sponsors, said she signed on to be part of the Friends when the organization started at the high school in 2005.

"I love the message that Rachel's Challenge is trying to spread around the world," she said. "It's simple. It's kindness and compassion."

She said the students in the organization are very passionate about their work.

"I think they take to it because deep down inside they are all looking for good things to do, they just haven't had the opportunity to," Frederickson said.

She said students are able to help rebuild houses with Habitat for Humanity or help at the local South Suburban Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) because they have adult supervisors, which some organizations require for teen volunteers.

Lesley Dennison, a sophomore at the high school who joined this year, said she's recruiting friends to join.

She said she really liked being part of the Holiday Angels program where the group shops for a needy family for the holidays. She said the group sold paper hands as part of a sale they called Hands for the Holidays to help raise money. Last year, the group sold more than 1,000 hands to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Senior Drew Harkins said he especially likes random acts of kindness.

"We just got out thank you notes for the bus drivers," he said. "It's just, like, a big thank you."

Senior Elyse Webb said one of the best things about the Friends of Rachel organization is anyone can join regardless of how much or how little time they can give.

At a recent meeting, she and other member chanted "Do it," and convinced Webb's younger brother Ian, a freshmen, to join. He was one of five new members to join at that meeting.

"You can join us and not come to every single meeting," Elyse Webb said. "You can participate in (a sport) and still be in Friends (of Rachel).  If you can't come every week, it doesn't mean you can't join us."

In addition to food drives, coat drives and bake sale fundraisers, the group also sponsors a You are a Star program for students at the Glenwood School for Boys and Girls. The Friends of Rachel serve as mentors and also hold a daylong celebration at a local movie theatre for the students.

Mackenzie Freund is a sophomore who joined the group last year.

"I like that we have the opportunity help people because we want to, not because we have to," she said. "I love charity work and we get to do so much of it."