May 20, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 95 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page S2548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           RECOGNIZING STUDENTS WORKING ON COMMUNITY OUTREACH

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am proud to recognize Kearsarge 
High School's student group, Students Working on Community Outreach, 
SWOCO, for continuing to lift up their fellow classmates and support 
community members--even from a distance--amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Even before the pandemic, SWOCO members worked hard to make a 
difference in their community. One of their most impressive 
accomplishments was hosting a conference for neighboring school 
districts on how students could become stronger leaders in their 
communities. The group also partnered with the National Honor Society 
to organize blanket drives and food drives for Liberty House, a 
veterans homeless shelter.
  Like so many Granite Staters, these students have needed to adjust to 
the new realities of this pandemic, including finding ways to organize 
without being in the same physical space. Among other things, the 
students, who are now meeting over conference calls, organized both a 
student and teacher Zoom talent show in an effort to keep their 
classmates engaged with their school community during this challenging 
time.
  The members of SWOCO also started a Little Free Pantry project in 
Kearsarge, which is a grassroots movement to help members of the 
community who are food insecure access essentials, such as food and 
personal care items. The members are coordinating all of the food 
pantries throughout the school district and have encouraged various 
student organizations to sign up to help stock the shelves.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Granite Staters to face 
unprecedented challenges, but even in the face of this crisis, they are 
coming together to support one another. For the members of SWOCO, this 
pandemic may have changed how they operate, but it did not change their 
mission or commitment to their community and fellow citizens. Their 
commitment to forging ahead in difficult times to help people from all 
walks of life and to support their community exemplifies New Hampshire 
at its best. I am, above all else, grateful for their hard work and 
look forward to seeing what they accomplish next.

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