After a lot of hard work last year, Senior Natalie Carrera’s club Help One is finally an official club at Mundelein High School, and she is thrilled to have the ability to reach more of the community and those in need.
“I think everyone should have everything that they need,” Natalie said, “And I think if we’re able to help them, we should.”
Natalie created Help One last year as a junior after quitting dance. When looking for something to do with her newly gained free time, she started to think about what she was passionate about. Helping others in need is what came to mind.
“I’ve always had a heart for the homeless and I’ve always wanted to give them homes, jobs, money, whatever I could. But I thought [Help One] would be a great way to involve our community and help our community,” Natalie said.
Help One meets once a month throughout the school year and hosts a multitude of fundraisers and events. A big part of Natalie’s job as president of Help One is to communicate and work with organizations in the area to donate to people in need. One of Natalie’s favorite fundraisers is with Adopt-A-Family. Members of Help One buy and wrap gifts and donate them to Adopt-A-Family to give away to children whose parents can’t afford any gifts. Another favorite is an event with PADS in Lake county where Help One makes blankets to give to people that are unhoused. This year, Natalie hopes to raise more funds for the club to be able to work with organizations that they couldn’t last year.
“Right now we don’t have any money for our club to do anything with, so we’re trying to build funds so we can do things like give meals to places like Lake County Haven or PADs because those are the things they need and appreciate,” Natalie said.
English teacher, Ernie Billittier, is the sponsor of Help One. When Carrera came to him with the idea for Help One, he jokingly told her to give him “her best sales pitch.” When she and the other board members came back with an entire powerpoint pitching their club, it was an easy decision for Billittier to say yes to being their sponsor.
“I was really impressed by that [sales pitch] and I was already impressed by Natalie’s personality in general,” Billittier said, “What they wanted to do was something I cared about also, so that made it easier.”
While Natalie’s affinity for helping others through Help One is plenty, she also finds time to help others outside of school. Mainly, she does a lot of outreach through her church.
“At my church I’m a small group leader for junior high girls and it’s really fun,” Natalie said. “I just get to talk to them and discuss what we learned and have fun with them. And I try to build community there and help them get to know each other.”
Natalie’s passion for helping others is inspiring her career choices as well. Currently, Natalie aspires to major in nursing in college. She isn’t quite sure what type of nurse she wants to be, but a nurse practitioner for kids is a career she’s currently looking into. When asked why she’s interested in becoming a nurse, the answer was simple.
“I just think it’s a great way to help people because it’s when [patients] are at their most vulnerable and have the most need, and to help people heal would be an amazing experience. Very valuable,” Natalie said.
Natalie Carrera has an obvious passion for helping others, and through the work of Help One and in her personal life, she has been able to reach many people in need in our community and change lives for the better. Members of Help One are also able to help people in our community, one of the many reasons why being a part of Help One is a great experience. This coming school year, Natalie hopes to add a new board member to the club, so they may continue to lead Help One after Natalie graduates. Wondering if Help One is the right place for you? This is what Natalie had to say on the subject.
“First of all, I think everyone has a great time, I’ve heard that from others. But I personally feel very fulfilled and very joyful after! By just building community and doing so much good for other people, that’s why people should join.”
Help One meets once a month in room C208 to participate in volunteer opportunities and discuss upcoming events. The club is always accepting new members, and Natalie Carrera can’t wait to share new ways to help the community with the students at Mundelein High School.
