The Willow Bend Academy National Honor Society chapter is now a two-time winner of the Outstanding Service Project Award. We received noticed on April 21 that we are one of ten winners for 2017 for our fall service project to support Promise House. With over 25,000 active chapters across the nation, there are only ten chapters who win the Outstanding Service Project Award, which is given to chapters who make significant service contributions at the local level. The four members of our National Honor Society chapter dedicated much time to write a 5-page report and abstract to submit for the award.

Last October our NHS chapter organized and executed a service project to support Promise House. Promise House is a local Dallas facility that has been open since 1984 and is open daily to youth and their families, providing services such as: emergency shelter transitional living, pregnant and parenting teen services, and individual, group, and family counseling. Promise House provides hope to youth who are homeless, runaway, or at-risk. With contributions from the students, their families, and the WBA faculty and staff, donations totaled $570 in gift cards and cash, 275 items of food, 50 articles of clothing, and 389 toiletries. These items were donated to Promise House to benefit their residents and allow them to continue serving the community.

Given the small size of our school, it is amazing to see what big things we can do. While it is great to be a recipient of this award, it is even greater to know that our efforts make a difference in someone else’s life.