HAHS Friends of Rachel Club

01/26/2026

Kindness is in the air this February 💌

01/07/2026

Reminder: We are accepting book donations for the next 2 weeks! 📖

Readers! 📚

Do you have gently used books that deserve a second chance to be loved? We are currently seeking gently used or new books for an upcoming *Blind Date with a Book* fundraiser!

Specifically:
1. Young adult and adult books (fiction or nonfiction in all genres)
2. Clean, gently used, or new copies (No textbooks, workbooks, or heavily damaged books)

If you have any books that could use a new home, please reach out to Mrs. Gerhart at [email protected] 📖 We are collecting until January 23rd!

01/06/2026

The Friends of Rachel Club is once again looking for community partners to support our upcoming su***de awareness and mental health support event, Outrun the Darkness, on May 16, 2026!

Sponsorship contributions help provide access to mental health resources, su***de prevention education, and community support services, ensuring individuals and families know they are not alone and help is available.

Sponsors will be recognized through event materials, social media, and on‑site visibility, while making a meaningful impact in our community.

If your business or organization is interested in becoming a sponsor or would like more information, please e-mail Corinne Gerhart at [email protected]!

Thank you for helping us promote hope, connection, and support 🤍

12/20/2025

💜 Thank You Aevidum and Northwest High School! 🩵

Our Friends of Rachel officers had an incredible time visiting Northwest High School (especially on their pajama day!) for The Talk Workshop, a peer-to-peer mental health and su***de prevention program developed by Aevidum. The workshop empowers students to recognize warning signs, start caring conversations, listen without judgment, and connect friends to trusted adults and resources.

Our students came back inspired and full of excitement! They met students on the same mission and made so many new friends. We can’t wait to get together again!

Together we will strengthen student voice, build connections, and create a culture where mental health conversations are normal, supported, and ongoing.

Hope is louder when we work as one 💚

Hazleton Area High School

12/18/2025

Readers! 📚

Do you have gently used books that deserve a second chance to be loved? We are currently seeking gently used or new books for an upcoming *Blind Date with a Book* fundraiser!

Specifically:
1. Young adult and adult books (fiction or nonfiction in all genres)
2. Clean, gently used, or new copies (No textbooks, workbooks, or heavily damaged books)

If you have any books that could use a new home, please reach out to Mrs. Gerhart at [email protected] 📖 We are collecting until January 23rd!

12/15/2025

🩵 SOME EXCITING NEWS 💜

During Su***de Awareness Month, our students handed out 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline stickers to help spread awareness, start conversations, and remind others that help is always available.

We are so proud to announce that we were selected as one of just three recipients of a $1,000 donation through the September/October 2025 sticker program and photo contest hosted by Refuel Agency.

This recognition reflects the compassion, leadership, and commitment of our students who continue to show up for one another and our community. Small actions (like sharing a sticker) can lead to life-saving conversations.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. We’re grateful for the opportunity to reinvest these funds into continued mental health and su***de prevention efforts for our students 💜🩵

Hazleton Area High School

12/15/2025

Unfortunately our workshop was rescheduled last week, but our club officers are ready to take on The Talk workshop this Friday…a peer-to-peer mental health and su***de prevention workshop developed by Aevidum, a nationally recognized student-led organization focused on empowering young people to support one another.

The workshop is designed to help students feel confident, prepared, and supported when having difficult but important conversations about mental health.

(Our club officers are pictured below👇🏼 *Missing from the picture is Megan Darraugh our Fundraising VP)

12/15/2025

Today we officially kicked off our Cougars & Cubs Mentorship Program ♥️🐾

Cougars & Cubs was created to intentionally connect our experienced club members (Cougars) with new members (Cubs) through consistent mentorship, encouragement, and genuine relationship-building. This program was designed with one simple belief at its core: every student deserves to feel seen, supported, and never alone.

Our Cougars serve as positive role models: listening, encouraging, and showing our Cubs what kindness, leadership, and compassion look like in action. Our Cubs gain a trusted mentor, a safe space, and a reminder that they matter.

Today, we completed our first round of pairings, and watching these connections begin was everything we hoped for and more 💛 And these pairings are just the start. Over time, they will grow into Cougar & Cub families, carrying mentorship, support, and friendship for years to come 🫶🏻

Hazleton Area High School

12/02/2025

Mark your December calendars 🗓️

11/21/2025

A huge THANK YOU to Pardeesville Cruise Night!
We are absolutely blown away by your $11,261.81 donation to the Friends of Rachel Club to help directly fuel our mental health and su***de prevention efforts.

Because of your support last year, we were able to bring Kevin Hines to our school and community… something that has made a lasting impact. And this year, you’ve shown once again what it means to support one another and stay united in the mission. Our work is not done until we live in a world where there are no more su***des 🤍

We’re grateful for your partnership, your heart, and your belief in us and our students 🫶🏻

11/20/2025

This week, some of our club officers took incredible initiative and attended a community mental-health conversation on their own, representing our school with maturity, compassion, and a genuine desire to make a difference.

The event, held at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, brought together families, youth, educators, health providers, and community leaders from across Pennsylvania. The goal was clear and meaningful: to engage in a solutions-focused conversation about strengthening children’s mental health and understanding what communities need right now to help young people thrive.

Our students listened, shared perspectives, and learned from real stories and real challenges facing youth today. Their willingness to show up, without being asked, without needing supervision, simply because they care, speaks volumes about their character and the mission of the Friends of Rachel Club.

We are incredibly proud of their leadership, their voice, and their heart for making their schools and community a more supportive place for all 🤍