TVHS Rising Above Club, Raises Awareness, Problem Solving For Children Suffering Abuse, Neglect

TEMECULA, CA — Rising Above, a Temecula Valley High School student-organized club focused on raising awareness about those experiencing child abuse and neglect, has its sights set on starting a community closet for the children, teens, and parents they have met along the way.

Rising Above's founding members spoke with Patch about their mission: to help and support victims of domestic violence and neglect. To do that, they've already formed key partnerships with sponsors like the Temecula Valley Women's Club, SAFE Temecula, and new partner, Oak Grove Center in Murrieta.

Each month, the students earn volunteer hours and give hands-on assistance, crafting and helping with children who've suffered neglect and abuse, showing them kindness wherever possible.

They also help set up for local events designed to improve the lives of women and children in the Southwest Riverside County area.

The group recently set up and helped decorate the day-long seminar "A Day In Her Shoes." This year, they will help at the Oak Grove Evening Under The Oaks, in April. They've organized a personal hygiene drive in which the group collected over 300 hygiene items for SAFE Temecula, an organization that protects family members who are experiencing abuse and neglect.

Over Christmas, Rising Above embarked on a holiday shopping and sorting event. It was loading up Christmas presents for SAFE's kids, an activity that sparked joy among the club members, that helped them formulate a plan for what's next.

"We were given families and what their children wanted for Christmas, and we shopped the donated items for what they wanted, put them in bags for the little kids," Kennedy said. "This was my favorite thing we've done so far, to give these kids what they wanted for Christmas, giving them multiple presents, and finding exactly what was on their list."

Alana agreed that the Christmas event was their favorite so far.

"There were a lot of kids at SAFE. It was really eye-opening to go there and see everyone," Alana said. So eye-opening, in fact, that the club has decided to expand its footprint going forward, to better serve the community by opening a "Community Closet" shopping experience.

All they need is a place to make it happen.

The group is already gathering gently used and new donations for their community store, moving full steam ahead in hopes of finding a home for their project.

The community closet will provide new and gently used clothing, shoes and accessories for kids, teens, and family members with immediate needs for work, school, court, and other reasons, especially those with immediate needs who have fled domestic violence and neglectful situations.

"We're asking for a place to store the clothing items we gather, and to host the shopping event," Kennedy said.

The group is dreaming big, currently in talks with partners, with hopes of working directly with the city or the Temecula Valley Unified School District to help sponsor the service-oriented venture.

Meanwhile, they continue their ongoing service projects, gathering school supplies to donate to the Temecula Valley Women's Club for backpack filling, and helping students earn much-needed volunteer hours.

Learn more about them on Instagram at risingabovetvhs.