Sophomores Meilin Shen and Taite Nicholson are the founders of The Giver’s Guide, an online and print magazine dedicated to highlighting nonprofit organizations and discussing the issues they address.
The club focuses on publicizing and writing and although it is based in Newport Beach, its articles will feature organizations throughout Orange County. The Giver’s Guide exemplifies how students can engage and help their community. Not only does The Giver’s Guide (TGG) provide opportunities for students to explore areas of interests, it also gives a platform for nonprofits to promote themselves in magazines, printed and online. “One of the main benefits from being a part of our club is an appreciation for service and lasting connections with philanthropists in Orange County,” Taite said.
The Giver’s Guide does a thorough job of organizing volunteer dates, publishing articles, and producing a website and magazine. The club hosts bimonthly meetings and sends small groups of volunteers to nonprofits to conduct interviews, take photographs, and experience what it is like volunteering there. Their first volunteer is at Clothing the Homeless in Santa Ana. Prior to the date, executive director Mitchell Raff expressed that “on behalf of the people that GGC will be serving this Saturday’s clothing distribution, they are very grateful for their time and empathy for those in dire need.”
Members work together to write articles and design each section of the magazine and submit each copy to competitions, such as Scholastic Arts, and distribute it throughout the community starting from Sage Hill. Through this, not only does it promote The Giver’s Guide’s audience but encourage students and nonprofits to join as well.
One of the many things that makes this club unique is how it is “currently connecting with other schools in Orange County and planning on expanding The Giver’s Guide to have 5+ schools that are actively involved in volunteering and contributing to the production of our magazine.” Taite also said that “the club is distinctive from others because we unite people with many different interests and hobbies, from art to journalism to politics and volunteering in the community, and support nonprofit organizations and their objectives.”
The club’s founders said the club was partially inspired by Service Learning at Sage. They enjoyed going to the Newport Back Bay and that inspired them to give back to the area during their own times in the Summer. “We really enjoyed our experience in 9th grade and wanted to continue volunteering and expand our reach to more nonprofits,” Meilin said. To be able to do so, the team went to many organizations from the ecology center to the Santa Ana channel. In doing so, they are creating a platform for themselves but also motivating others who share similar interests to join. “Many high schoolers complete volunteer hours for college resumes or high school requirements without actually resonating with the cause they support,” she said.
The club is unequivocal that it will have a positive impact throughout the area. “[We] connect people with a way to give back using their passions and interests so they can actually enjoy volunteering and develop a love for giving,” Taite said. With around 100 members already, Meilin and Taite believe their club could become something even bigger. Learn more at thegiversguide.org
