CCHS Excel Club observes Make A Difference Day

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove High School Excel Club participated in Make A Difference Day Saturday by doing a good deed for My Brother’s House Food Pantry.

Students from the club, which is the high school chapter of the National Exchange Club, replaced the American flag flying in front of the food pantry located at 107 Lyons St, next to the Holy Family Catholic Church.

Make a Difference Day is celebrated nationwide on the fourth Saturday in October every year. Founded in 1992 by “USA Weekend” magazine, Make a Difference Day was created to offer a day for people and organizations to unite and do something for their community. The day encourages volunteerism amongst all age groups. Points of Light, a non-profit organization founded by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, is the official co-sponsor of Make a Difference Day. Since its inception 29 years ago, Make a Difference Day has spread to 30 countries and has inspired over 30 million volunteer hours, according to https://nationaltoday.com.

Excel Club Advisor Charles Lyons said that the Excel Club has adopted My Brother’s House for various projects each year since 2014. The students participate in Make a Difference Day every year to give back to the community. This year, five students and two advisors participated.

“Make A Difference Day is every day for our Excel Club members as we try to make our community better,” Lyons added.

Bernard Glowinski, with My Brother’s House, said that he really appreciates all that the Excel Club does for the food pantry, not just on Make a Difference Day.

Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, My Brother’s House is a food pantry for those in need in Copperas Cove. Glowinski estimated that the pantry serves about 40 families per day.

“We can't say enough how much we appreciate it, first and foremost because as I said we’re  volunteers here and we’re trying to get people fed, and sometimes the necessity stuff that I kind of do has to be done, like painting,” Glowinski said. “Sometimes I come in here at 3:00 a.m. painting the floor, if it needs it. [The Excel Club] comes and paints the building for us and all of that, and it helps us keep the place presentable to the community because we rely on the community to stay afloat here.”

Glowinski said that the goal is to make people feel comfortable at the food pantry, and the Excel Club’s efforts help do just that.

Volunteers with the Exchange Club of Copperas Cove also gathered together Saturday morning starting at 8:30 a.m. to help clean up the outside of the Exchange Sunshine Apartments, located on Leonhard Street, as part of Make a Difference Day.