Watertown High School field trips are uncommon, especially when their destination is the Pine Street Inn.

     Pine Street is a homeless shelter in downtown Boston, but it doesn’t just provide temporary shelter. Its many programs include job training, food for the hungry, legal aid, help with addictions, and advocacy. On March 17, Mr. Rose’s advisory group will be taking public transportation downtown and volunteering for a whole day at the shelter.

     Wenston Rodrigues, a 10th-grader in the advisory, believes the trip will be worth it.

     “Usually in advisory we talk about doing good stuff, and we did the Thanksgiving basket fund-raiser in November, but mostly it’s hard to be productive with our time,” he said.

     “I wasn’t so sure about it at first, but I think the trip will be fun and it will be a good way to actually make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

     The advisory group will be helping the Pine Street staff with the regular chores, from preparing food to talking to the residents. As well, Pine Street asked WHS to bring in coffee and cereal to donate. Both coffee and cereal, regular staples in the breakfast meals of many WHS students, make a big difference to Pine Street residents.

     Lauren Petrillo, another member of the advisory, was enthusiastic about the food drive and the field trip.

    “I’m really excited to go!” she said. “There are a lot of people in need, and I hope that we’ll be able to make a dent in the issue as a whole. I’d also like to get to know one or two of the people at the shelter, even briefly; I think personal interactions are really important.”

     She also stressed the importance of the food drive, as “something everyone can do.” The drive was announced during announcements.

     Watertown High School should be glad to do its part.

–March 16, 2016–