Recently, the Lake Central FCCLA club participated in a toiletry drive for the St. Jude House, which is located in Crown Point. The St. Jude House serves as a shelter for victims of domestic and sexual abuse and their children. Nearly 500 adults and children come to St. Jude House seeking safety and peace every year. 

   “We just finished up the toiletry drive, back in October. We took the results to Buckley Homestead and they then went to St. Jude. They are counted up all together as an FCCLA chapter for Northwest Indiana as a whole. We took them to the St. Jude House and those [things] are all going to people who are in St. Jude House for domestic violence,” Alex Szorc (12) said. 

   FCCLA mainly works around the school and community. They host many drives to help people in challenging situations all around. 

   “We go around and do drives throughout the whole school year. We try to just help out different shelters and different things throughout the community, just [be] involved in the community more. Right now we’re going to push out this shoe drive that we’re already kind of pushing out for December. It’s donating shoes to kids who don’t have shoes for [the] Christmas [season],” Sczorc said. 

   As sponsor of this club, Louise Tallent, a Family and Consumer Science teacher at Lake Central, supports this organization in addition to the student body. Tallent admired the club and wanted to be a part of something more. 

   “I became an FCCLA sponsor after being a co-sponsor with Miss Amanda Harle, [a] FACS teacher.  She totally inspired my interest in the organization and introduced me to the great things it does for students,” Tallent said. 

   The field trip to St. Jude House was one that warmed the hearts of many. The administration of the house was very grateful for the items they received. 

   “One [of my favorite parts] was seeing the students’ responses when the St. Jude’s Home staff showed their great appreciation for all the items that were collected and donated. The students smiled, indicated they were very glad to be a part of the project and sincerely hoped it would assist the residents,” Tallent said.