WSD’s National Honor Society supports domestic violence victims
By Heather Ruenz
Staff writer
The Wisconsin School for the Deaf National Honor Society Chapter recently sponsored a community service project to give support to victims of domestic violence.
With the financial backing of Thrivent Financial in Fond du Lac, the school’s NHS made blankets for Domestic Violence Centers servicing deaf clients.
The chapter is specifically focusing on the deaf community. Students have previously volunteered at homeless shelters, domestic violence centers and food pantries for various school events as well as our annual girls’ lock-in. This inspired a desire to reach out to the deaf community, specifically.
“This is for people who have been impacted by domestic violence and the blankets will go to children or others who need them, or to shelters,” Brianna Henke, president of WSD’s NHS said through an interpreter.
“We picked this as our project because we’re deaf ourselves and wanted to give back to the deaf community,” Henke added.
Henke’s mom obtained the grant from Thrivent and then purchased the materials with input from her daughter.
“She also drove nearly three hours each way on two separate Thursdays to participate in us making the blankets,” Becky Epple, advisor for the local society said.
Henke estimated each fleece blanket took about a half an hour to make since there were several people working on them.
WSD principal Brian Lievens said he encourages the school’s NHS members to partake in community service projects.
“I remembered how important it was for me to participate in community service projects when I was in high school as they helped me to see outside of myself. I look forward to the results of the community service projects our NHS members will be involved with.”
He said the school’s 103 students come from all over the state but many of them live in this area with their families – some whom have moved here for the school – while others stay in dorms during the week and go home on weekends.
WSD welcomes students from early childhood to the age of 21 and all are deaf or hard of hearing. Maybe, students would also be given additional facilities like an EarPros hearing aid, which would help them improve their communication with the populace who are not adept in the American Sign Language. But for now, they seem to stick to teaching and learning through sign language.
“It’s the same concept as any other school except we use sign language to communicate,” Lievens said.
The National Honor Society requires students to be on high honors, have a high grade point average and show character, service, leadership and academic excellence, Henke explained.
She said the group made blankets for both kids and adults in different sizes and this was her first project with the National Honor Society, which was revamped at WSD.
“I have other ideas and am making a list for future projects,” Henke said.
The blankets will be given to Deaf Unity for distribution.
Epple said she was thrilled to see the enthusiasm and energy this project has brought to the NHS members.
“This is the first project that our school’s NHS has conducted in several years so I am very pleased our students are taking this to heart,” she said.
The National Honor Society is the nation’s oldest and best-known student recognition program and was founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
