THeSpians in the Community
Mean Girls is a story that asks our students to confront challenging, mature topics tied to the teen world and we are so happy to have partnered with five community organizations in those areas. Student leaders and their committees have worked with Best Buddies, My Friend Abby, S.A.V.E. Promise, the Trumbull Food Pantry, and TPAUD/YAY to fundraise, promote awareness for, and access the support of these organizations as we navigate the challenges introduced by the material. As a community, we are so lucky to have these organizations doing the courageous work they do.
Best Buddies is a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of friendships between those with and without mental and/or physical disabilities. It has been their long standing goal to create an environment for people of all ages to come together, and form a community no matter who they are. Trumbull High THeSpians has worked with Best Buddies in order to further support the need for inclusion— helping the blossoming of community, to both build and strengthen the bonds between peoples. With the creation of friendship bracelets that are meant to be exchanged, we hope to promote togetherness, spread awareness, and encourage others to join the mission. Despite some of the behaviors of the characters in MEAN GIRLS at the beginning of the show, it is important to realize the value of the final message: that everyone has the potential to be a “star”, as they set aside their differences to decrease mutiny and see the beauty within us all. To learn more about Best Buddies’ work in the community, please visit https://www.bestbuddies.org/.
My Friend Abby is a community non-profit organization that focuses on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, raising awareness about mental and emotional health, and spreading positivity throughout the community. Their mission is to empower young adults to develop peer to peer connections by awarding grants to youth who take initiative to make a difference in the area of mental health. THeSpians has partnered with My Friend Abby to raise awareness about mental health through displaying an anti-burn book with positive messages that audience members can add for themselves or others, as well as collecting donations to the organization where donors will be given My Friend Abby chapsticks and stickers. To learn more about My Friend Abby’s work in the community, please visit https://www.myfriendabby.org/.
SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Club is part of a nationwide organization and is a branch of Sandy Hook Promise, which focuses on gun violence prevention and awareness. SAVE also advocates for mental health awareness and social inclusion through its “Start With Hello” and “Say Something” programs. THeSpians has partnered with SAVE to raise money and awareness for the club via a donation box at performances of MEAN GIRLS: High School Version. Those who donate will be presented a wooden heart hand-painted by our cast and crew for their contribution. To learn more about SAVE Promise's work in the community, please visit https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/our-programs/save-promise-club/.
The Trumbull Food Pantry is a community organization which aims to assist those in need by collecting and distributing food and other goods. Their goal is to help those who are low-income, currently do not have the means to pay for groceries, and/or those facing food insecurity. Here at THeSpians, we have helped to raise funds to purchase supplies. This has been done largely through fundraising and spreading awareness of the organization within the student body. To learn more about Trumbull Food Pantry’s work in the community, please visit https://www.trumbull-ct.gov/310/Food-Pantry
Trumbull’s Prevention Partnership, TPAUD, is a community coalition devoted to preventing youth alcohol and drug use. Their initiatives and work with local law enforcement agencies raise awareness among all community members about the dangers of underage drinking and substance abuse to help reduce access to these harmful substances and build a safe and healthy community. YAY (Youth Advocating for Youth), a project of TPAUD, focuses on promoting youth mental health awareness and providing wellness resources at Trumbull High School. There are depictions of substance abuse in the show, especially in numbers like “Who’s House Is This?”, so we would like to use this as an opportunity to shine a light on this topic and the consequences that come with it. The cast and crew of THS’s MEAN GIRLS have partnered with YAY/TPAUD to spread awareness about the organization, highlight their work and activities, and fundraise on their behalf so we can help ensure that our community remains safe and protected. To learn more about YAY/TPAUD’s work in the community, please visit https://www.tpaud.org.