Oneida Students and Z Club Collect Personal Items for ‘We Rise Above the Streets’
Posted on 03/10/2022
Students pose with Muhammed from We Rise Above the Streets

Students across the Oneida City School District collaborated to collect clothing, hygiene products and other personal items for We Rise Above the Streets, Inc.

We Rise Above the Streets is a charity organization out of Syracuse, New York that serves the homeless. We Rise Above the Streets was founded seven years ago by Al-amin Muhammad. Muhammad knows the struggles that homeless people face firsthand, he was able to escape homelessness through a rehabilitation program and now works to better the lives of those less fortunate.

““I want to help people because, first of all, I can speak the language and I know what people need,” Muhammad said. “Over ten years, you can imagine you've been through a lot, you know, trying to get food, trying to get clothes, trying to get ID and trying to get your life together.”

Patricia Vaccaro, a counseling secretary at Oneida High School and an advisor for Z Club – a youth charity organization – organized the district-wide fundraiser to give back to the local area.

“I love it, it’s my cup of tea,” Vaccaro said. “I’ve been doing it [advising Z Club] for 12 years.”

Through Z Club, Vaccaro facilitates charitable events all the time, but was inspired to do a larger project for We Rise Above the Streets because she believes the organization shows students the reality of homelessness.

Oneida City School District students and Z Club members were happy to participate in something that gives to those in great need.

Senior Madeline Harris has been a member of Z Club since tenth grade and enjoys the opportunity the club gives her to help others.

“It's just a great environment to be a part of, just great female energy, and I just love being a part of it because we do great things for our community, as well as our school,” Harris said.

Muhammad is particularly proud of events like “Sandwich Saturday,” where We Rise Above the Streets distributes food to the homeless.

“When you come to Sandwich Saturday, it will wake you up because you’ll still have hope, and you'll see the definition of peace in the world and kindness and compassion,” Muhammad said.