Summer of Service

Local Students Use Their Break Time to Give Back to the Community

By COCO MERRITT | Intern

With school ending for most students in June, some diligent Palisadians took it upon themselves to embark on new journeys, aiding various communities over the course of this summer.

Palisadian Pierce Bergstein, a rising junior at Palisades Charter High School, served a community 9,500 miles away, deep in the heart of Kenya, Africa.

Prior to visiting the country for himself, Bergstein’s parents had been to Kenya various times and developed a close relationship with the owners of Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp. Following his own trip to Kenya, Bergstein developed a special connection with the community.

“I first went there when I was 9 and it changed my life,” Bergstein told the Palisadian-Post. “It was the first time that I realized I live in a bubble in the Palisades and have everything handed to me … it’s been part of my life ever since.”

Four years later, Bergstein did his bar mitzvah project with the camp in mind and raised over $2,000 for the school there. Bergstein longed to go back to the country; he didn’t know when or for what reason, but knew he wanted to visit again and be involved in any way possible.

In order to fulfill this desire, Bergstein got in contact with the owner of the safari camp, and decided to help out around the camp and school. He wanted to help in any capacity due to the camp’s struggling economy.

“When COVID-19 hit, [the camp’s] income was completely devastated because there were no tourists at the camp, so they had no way to make money,” Bergstein explained. “I’m just hoping to make their lives a little bit easier.”

Bergstein stayed in Kenya for three weeks to give back to a community that means so much to him.

The Palisades Ambassadors also worked hard to give back to the community this summer.

Comprised of dedicated rising sophomores to seniors, the Pali Ambassadors aim to better the greater Los Angeles area all year round. However, summer always provides the Ambassadors more opportunities to give back.

“The beginning of summer is one of the busiest times for the Ambassadors,” Ambassadors President Hannah Kia told the Post. “So far this summer, the Ambassadors have volunteered at Pali High Graduation, the Teen Cancer America polo event at Will Rogers, and the Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks show.”

The Ambassadors continued to volunteer at community events, with Pali High’s Class of 2002 Reunion scheduled to be the last big event of the summer.

The Ambassadors have worked with various organizations this summer, including the Optimist Club, Children’s Lifesaving Foundation and Teen Cancer America. The Ambassadors are always looking for more ways to give back to the community, and working with large, as well as developing, organizations is one of their favorite ways to do so.

“It is important to us that we continue working these events during the summer because our service to the community is not restricted to the time frame of the school year,” Kia said. “We will continuously be there to represent our school and community. It gives us a great way to see each other and regroup during the break, as well as help out when needed.”

For more information, visit paliambassadors.org.