Heights students form community-service organization

Members of CHYC pause for a photo while volunteering at a Shaker Lakes cleanup: (from left) Quinton Ndyajunwoha, Anya Chew, Avery Dyer, Londyn Crenshaw, Stephen Lang, Ben Schuster, Soli Collins and Jeremy Kauffman. [courtesy CHYC]

Sporting grey shirts with the Heights tiger on their chests, members of the Cleveland Heights Youth Committee (CHYC) are popping up all around the Heights community.

Heights High students founded and comprise this newly formed youth group. Entirely self-directed, CHYC’s members are dedicated to promoting positive change in their community through student activism and leadership.

Currently, CHYC is sponsoring a coat drive, running through Jan. 1, at the close of which the students plan to organize the donated items and distribute them around the community. Drop-off locations for donated coats are at The Wine Spot, Quintana's Barber & Dream Spa, Lee Road Library, Coventry Village Library, CH-UH Board of Education, Zagara's Marketplace, Lopez, and Ben & Jerry's.

Last fall, CHYC members helped out at events across Cleveland Heights, volunteering at the Happy 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run, the Shaker Lakes Hike and Run, and the Heights Music Hop, as well as assisting in the organization of and recruitment for the fall Coventry park cleanup.

At Heights High, the group organized a voter registration drive in September and addressed voting issues by helping students vote in the November election.

CHYC members are also working to address the policy concerns of students at Heights High. 

"We wanted to give Heights students an opportunity to voice their opinions without limitation and give back to the community we all call home,” said David Fleischer, a Heights High senior and founder of CHYC.

According to Fleischer, CHYC’s current members are all Heights High students, but the group hopes to have others join next year.

Upcoming plans include tutoring and mentoring sixth-grade students at Roxboro Middle School.

Those interested in learning more about CHYC, its current coat drive, and what the group is doing in the community can find information on Twitter @CleHtsYC, or contact the group directly at clevelandheightsyc@gmail.com.