Every year, Cleveland leadership students partner with charity organizations in cooperation with the school to raise money for specific issues plaguing the local area. A statement from leadership explained that last year our two leadership classes gave over $30,000 to non-profits in the Portland metro area to support Portland’s houseless population and those suffering from addiction.

For several years, CommuniCare, a youth empowerment philanthropy partnership with The Schnitzer Foundation, has been the main party responsible for financially contributing to the fundraisers. CommuniCare matches students’ fundraising efforts tenfold. This year, there are two main fields of interest for both leadership classes.

For the sixth-period class, the goal is to help tackle the growing danger of substance abuse within our community. Their mission statement indicates their intent to help support high school students with the ongoing drug epidemic.
According to the mission statement put out by Cleveland Leadership, “We, the students at Cleveland High School, are deeply impacted by the suffering the greater Portland metro area community is experiencing due to substance abuse. We have seen the drug crisis and the pain our peers experience firsthand. As Leadership students, we are dedicated to supporting young adults struggling with addiction–prioritizing fentanyl. We are committed to ensuring that members of our community get the help and support they need.”

The seventh-period leadership students have committed themselves to focusing on the unequal consequences of climate change on minority populations and the discriminatory actions that affect them. According to their mission statement, “Cleveland High School’s Leadership students care deeply about the effects of climate change on people of color. We will support organizations in Portland that work to combat the climate-change-facilitating effects that were created by redlining, gentrification, and infrastructure in historically underserved communities. We aim to alleviate the added pressure that people of color face due to climate change.”

To reach its goals, leadership has plans for several crowdsourcing fundraisers. The classes partnered with Hopworks on Oct. 23 and sold around 50 Spooky Grams, falling short of expectations to exceed last year’s number of sold candy grams, roughly 120.

But the biggest fundraiser that will involve the whole school is CHS Gives Back, and the class goal is to reach $12,000. If the goal is reached, a flex day will be added before a lunch for an extended lunchtime. The campaign will begin on Dec. 4, and over the week, incentives will be given in exchange for donations that will benefit the community.

Cleveland leadership wants to remind students to “keep your head up, go out there, and look out for ways to support the causes that leadership is representing!”