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Melanie Gillott

I love theatre, singing, and writing.
"If you've got a dream, you've got to grab it and never let go." -Carol Burnett

Latest posts by Melanie Gillott (see all)

• The Future is Mine club hosts career and college fair - March 30, 2017
• SHS student job shadows WPXI’s Peggy Finnegan - March 3, 2017
• Local singer moves to LA to pursue music career - March 1, 2017

Members of the Faith in Action Club helping with, “Operation Christmas Child.”

As Southmoreland juniors, Alison Huffman and Abigail Kropp chatted at their church’s weekly youth group meeting, discussing about potential mission projects. Together, the two brainstormed the idea of having a Bible studies club at Southmoreland High School.

The juniors then talked to vice principal Mrs. Tawnia St. Amant about their idea. Immediately, she permitted them to start the club, and she even helped them “figure out which teachers would be willing to help and sponsor them.”

Huffman, 16, and Kropp, 17, started the “Faith in Action” club because they thought that it would be a great way to reach out to people and connect with new people to express and share their “love of Jesus” with them. It has also been a way to “offer students a place to learn God’s word and to create a closer personal relationship with God.”  

Kropp said that the club is “super important” to her.

“I knew that it would offer something directly for my faith, but I never imagined how many new people I would come to talk to that I haven’t before,” she said.

Huffman agreed. “I love everyone involved with club, and I love learning with them. I look forward to it every week.”

“We have great conversations about life and relate to what the Bible says. Everyone speaks up and adds their own input to the conversation so you get multiple point of views,” Huffman said.

Huffman said that the dozen students involved in the club have been affected in a “positive way.” One member of the club, Sarah Garvin, said that the club has made an impact on her life.

“I wanted to be closer to God. I have been through a lot in my life and I have found the club as an alternative route to help myself,” Garvin said. “It’s been helpful to the kids who need it. It’s like a support group.”

Kropp also believes the club is a great way for people to express themselves.

“The thing about the Bible is that Christians and non-Christians alike have tons of questions. This group offers a place where they can be answered,” Kropp said. “From there, people can come to their own opinion on what the Bible is saying. There is no more important thing than to know what you believe, and to come to that knowledge on your own terms.”

Currently, the group is working on a project called “Operation Christmas Child,” which is a national organization that collects shoeboxes for kids packed with donated personal hygiene items, toys, and school supplies. People donate items, pack the shoe boxes, and then the boxes are shipped as Christmas gifts to children in third-world countries.

The group meets every Thursday during Intervention period and usually meets in the chorus room, unless it is Day 6, when the group meets in Mr. Jason Zalewski’s room.

“We’re really open to new people,” Huffman said. “I highly recommend it to anyone because it is so much fun.”

For more information on the club, contact Huffman or Kropp.