By Stuti Pemmaraju, Staff Writer
Moreau’s Interact Club, a student-led community service club, focuses on serving the community through fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, and student-led projects. The club’s key mission for the 2025-2026 school year is to expand its outreach, so they can grow their membership and continue impact the community in even more purposeful ways.
So far this year, Interact has hosted several events, including the Back-to-School Shopping Drive, the Moms Against Poverty Drive, as well as volunteering at the Rotary Omelet Brunch. The Moms Against Poverty Drive, in particular, was a partnership with Interact, Moreau’s Social Justice Leadership, and the non-governmental organization Moms Against Poverty. Through this fundraiser, MCHS students donated healthy, non-perishable items to put together meal kits for families throughout the Bay Area. For each $15 spent, students were able to receive one service hour, making the drive a huge success.
[photo courtesy of Braden Dougherty]
To get more of an inside look at Interact, I interviewed senior co-president Braden Dougherty on the club’s events and mission. Braden explained that, despite common misconceptions, Interact is not simply a school club–it is a global organization. Interact is connected to Rotary International, a global organization that connects local passionate and dedicated members of the community Through its affiliation with Rotary, each Interact Club falls into a specific district. Moreau’s Club specializes in District 5170, or the Bay Area, which is historically known for being one of the largest Interact districts globally.
When asked how Moreau’s Interact is different from other service clubs, even others on campus, Braden says that in addition to serving the community, Interact is constantly fundraising. Belonging to a unified district enables Interact club members to work together on fundraising efforts that support global initiatives. This year, the club is raising funds to pay for and support heart transplant surgeries. In the past two years alone, the club raised $300,000 for nonprofit organizations in Hayward, and in the past year was able to feed over 100 families who relied on SNAP from their donations.
[photo courtesy of Braden Dougherty]
Braden is passionate about interacting with clubs and believes that service is one of the most important things for all students, especially Mariners, to take part in. “When people can’t speak up, actions speak louder than words. By doing service, we can change society into the vision of it which we want to see.”
Want to get involved with Interact? With meetings and service events open to all, Interact provides every student with an opportunity to get involved. And the best part: you get a free t-shirt!
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