Along with all of the activities that CHS students are involved with outside of academics, volunteering has become prominent among students as a way for them to reach out and contribute the community in a number of different ways.

As a way to expose students to all of the volunteer opportunities around St. Louis, an organization founded by former CHS student Simone Bernstein called Saint Louis Volunteen will join together with The Magic House and St. Louis Children’s Museum to host what will be their Second Annual Volunteer Fair, promoting youth volunteerism that can be found around the St. Louis Area.

Simone Bernstein, the founder of St. Louis Volunteen, started the local organization during the summer of 2009, and while Simone has moved on to college, the organization is currently developing a Junior Board as it works to promote the upcoming fair. She is looking forward to this year’s fair and hoping that those who attend the fair find programs that suit their interests.

“The St. Louis Youth and Family Volunteer Fair is an annual event,” Simone Bernstein said, “and a fantastic way for students and families of young children to learn about summer, weekend, and virtual volunteer opportunities for B’nai Mitzvah projects, high school National Honor Society duties and fulfilling general high school and middle school service graduation requirement.”

A number of CHS students have become involved in the organization and are currently putting a great deal of effort toward organizing the fair. Junior EmmaVierod helped to coordinate last year’s fair and believes that the fair has a lot to offer youth of all ages.

“I think that the fair is a great opportunity,” Vierod said. “Students get to meet and talk to the people who run the organizations and programs, as well as listen to first hand experiences from current volunteers.”

Veirod is excited to see how many students will come out to the fair this year, and she is hoping that the numbers will even increase from last year.

The fair is helpful in the way that it provides both short and long term volunteer opportunities. Junior Jake Bernstein, Co-founder of St. Louis Volunteen, believes that long-term volunteer opportunities allow students to become dedicated to something for a long period of time as opposed to simply one day.

“The fact that the fair brings so many local nonprofit organizations together for students to choose from offers students an interactive, productive experience,” Jake Bernstein said.

Jake Bernstein believes that the fair, catering to all sorts of interests, successfully promotes youth volunteering around the St. Louis area.

A few students were so pleased with the opportunities that last year’s fair provided them with that they decided to help organize this year’s fair. Senior Joseph Dillon recalls his satisfaction with last year’s Volunteen Fair and the way that it offered a wide range of volunteer opportunities close to home that would suit anyone’s interests.

“There were so many different groups at the fair,” Dillon said. “There was everything from baseball to working with puppies to horseback riding. Whatever your interest is, there is sure to be a group for you.”

The 2nd Annual St. Louis Youth and Family Volunteer Fair will be held on Sunday, April 10 from 1-4 p.m at the Magic House. Over 30 non-profit organizations will attend and admission to the event is free with a can of food donation per person, which will be donated to a local food bank.