Waltham High Honor Society has impacts throughout the city

Members of the National Honor Society at Waltham High School have logged more than 3,800 hours of community service this school year — and they’re not done yet.

With 150 students participating, the NHS has volunteered across the city, from helping at the Healthy Waltham Food Pantry and the Waltham Public Library to tutoring in elementary schools and assisting at local PTO meetings and the Waltham Farmers Market.

“While the NHS officers and advisers coordinate many of the volunteer opportunities, students are also encouraged to find individual opportunities to help their own communities,” said Anabel Rutledge, president of the Class of 2026 National Honor Society. “For some, this has meant coaching youth basketball teams while others have tutored students.”

The largest service event of the school year was Hawks for the Holidays, the school’s annual gift drive for Waltham children. The program matches hundreds of local children with WHS homerooms, clubs and athletic teams, which raise money and shop for gifts. The effort culminated in a holiday assembly Dec. 22, followed by gift distribution at St. Mary’s Church.

Thanks to widespread participation, NHS members helped provide presents for more than 300 children.

Looking ahead, the group plans a “Secret Student” event later this month. NHS members will anonymously select teachers to surprise with small gifts, decorations and clues throughout the week — a lighthearted way to show appreciation for educators’ hard work.

In May the society will induct new members from the Class of 2027, and students are already anticipating Awards Night, prom and graduation on June 7.