Video summary
At Belfry High School, senior Michael Perkins has launched the Help Yourself Club with the primary goal of addressing critical mental health needs within the student body and the wider community. Inspired by his experience at the Governor's Scholars Program, where he observed successful leadership initiatives focused on well-being, Perkins recognized a gap in local support systems and decided to create a dedicated space for students to discuss their struggles. The club is designed not only as a mental health resource but also as a platform for fundraising and active student engagement, aiming to foster an environment where every member feels safe and supported.
The organization is already expanding its reach beyond the immediate school campus by establishing chapters at neighboring institutions like Johnson Central and Pike Central. To combat issues such as bullying, the club plans to host an anti-bullying week in collaboration with school counselors, featuring interactive community-building games and giveaways intended to bring students together. These activities are crucial for helping members realize that they are not alone in their experiences, thereby strengthening social bonds and creating a more inclusive atmosphere where individuals can connect without feeling isolated or different from one another.
Faculty members have expressed strong support for the initiative, noting Perkins' proactive approach and the impressive number of sign-ups during recent club registration days. The school administration and staff are working alongside the students to ensure the club thrives long after Perkins graduates, with plans already in motion to replicate this model at other schools in the region. This collaborative effort highlights a shared commitment to student welfare, proving that even a newly formed group can make a significant impact on the community's overall health and inspire similar movements elsewhere.
Ultimately, the Help Yourself Club serves as a vital bridge between students, faculty, and the broader community, offering a structured way to address mental health challenges while building lasting friendships. By leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the club invites other schools to join their movement and start their own groups, amplifying their message of unity and support. As reported by Connor Kidd for Mountain Top News, this initiative represents a promising step forward for Belfry High School, demonstrating how student-led efforts can effectively tackle pressing issues and create a positive ripple effect throughout the area.
Read the full video transcript
A new club has come to Belfry High
School with grand plans to help out the
community with a much-needed problem.
Michael Perkins, a senior at Belfry High
School, has started the Help Yourself
Club to help with mental health both in
the school and the surrounding area.
Here's Perkins to tell us more.
>> This summer I went to Governor's
Scholars Program and I talked to a lot
of people down there who had started
their own clubs at their schools and it
was like a lot of leadership
capabilities. And I really thought was
like what was important to me was mental
health
um
regarding just making sure everybody's
okay within our area and community.
Um so I decided to start something up
like that that would benefit the
students at Belfry High School. I know
in February we're going to run an
anti-bullying week
uh with our counselor, I believe.
And we're we're also starting chapters
at other schools. Like we have a chapter
that is being started up at Johnson
Central. I know Pike Central's in the
works of starting their own chapter.
And we hope to just work towards that
stuff. If you plan on starting a club at
your school, I'd like everybody to like
reach out to our Instagram. It's
help.yourself.ky.
Um and we have a TikTok page now that we
just got up. So if you would like to
start your own club at any other school,
just reach out.
>> Perkins has discussed with faculty a
plan to keep this club going long after
he has graduated to help as many
students as possible and with plans to
start other groups similar to this at
other schools.
>> Uh this Help Yourself Club uh was
something that uh he kind of got the
idea down there and you know he he
pitched it to me and basically said I
want to start a Help Yourself Club at
Belfry High School. It's a club that
that that allows students to
um really talk about maybe some of their
needs, you know, it's essentially a
mental health club to help with that uh
but it's more than that. Uh that you
know they they've started to do some uh
fundraising. They you know they they're
very active in our school and even
though it's new, again we're we're you
know 3 weeks into to school and they're
just really kind of getting their club
started.
Uh they're also um you know kind of just
building their numbers. Uh we had club
sign-up days a couple weeks ago and I
think you know the number that they got
was
amazing. With faculty and students
working together to make sure this club
prospers, there is no doubt this will be
a great benefit to the community and
inspire other schools to follow in their
footsteps.
>> Well, it's mainly just an opportunity
for everybody to get to know each other
and to
really realize that nobody's any
different than themselves. And our bully
week as Marco said was like a perfect
example of one of the things we're going
to do. But at our meetings we're going
to do like community building games and
like giveaways and stuff that make
people interact. We're really just
hoping that it'll bring our community
together because like as he said when we
went to Governor's Scholars, we thought
about how everybody had mental health
clubs and clubs that really made people
friends.
But when we thought about Belfry, we
realized that there weren't anything
like that. Overall, I'm just really
excited and I think that it's a great
opportunity and to come out to our
meetings. And especially if you are
wanting to start one up at your own
school, then I think that it's a great
idea to contact the Instagram and reach
out.
>> Reporting for Mountain Top News, I'm
Connor Kidd.