High School Students Stepped Up for BOSS. Will You?

A special thank you to the student club: BOSS at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, CA.  

In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Young students who want to serve don’t come into our midst enough.  We always want to encourage more student groups to get engaged/involved with community philanthropy and volunteering in some way; partnering with a non-profit is just one of many ways to do that.  Young people often inspire other young people to do similar deeds.  

We are grateful to the young ladies at Acalanes High School who demonstrate how to make that happen when they work together to help when communities need it the most.

Enter Arielle, Emily, and Maya 

Earlier this year, we received a submission about a student club wanting to do a fundraiser for our organization, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), but wanted to learn more about us so a meeting was scheduled to discuss the possibilities of a partnership.  So I reached out to Arielle Sears, who spoke to me about wanting to start a club at her school with their community service goal of 'helping others in need and also to have fun with others while supporting a good cause'.  She looked for organizations across the Bay Area that the club could help and found BOSS as an organization they could support in some meaningful way.  I found out through our initial conversation that the club hadn’t been created and they wanted to know what the opportunities were.  [Mind you, all members of the club will also receive special credit for their community service].  

So the journey begins…

After discussing the various possible fundraising ideas, Acalanes High School's newly named club, BOSS, set out as their first project to do a clothing fundraiser for our organization (BOSS) where the proceeds from the sale would be given to our organization. 

The club officers: Arielle Sears, Emily Charo, and Maya Kayiran decided on the date, time, and location for the fundraising event was held in the Lafayette Plaza on October 19, 2025.

The BOSS club raised money for our clients who come from various backgrounds.  The one thing our clients have in common is that they are all low-income and are receiving services through our organization. 

Facing various hardships, whether it's unemployment, mental health, or health challenges, familial issues, etc., we help individuals and families with temporary housing, permanent supportive housing, helping them to increase their incom,e or providing them with the resources to help them better manage their health and wellness and other basic needs.

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Overall, the fundraiser was a success, and we look forward to collaborating with the BOSS Student Club again.

The BOSS student club at Acalanes High School can be found on Instagram: boss_acalanes

For more information about Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), you can visit our website at www.self-sufficiency.org

Contribution to the article provided by Arielle Sears, Acalanes H.S. BOSS Student Club President.