Photograph by Genevieve Saldanha
In a community the size of Berkeley High, it can feel like nobody’s paying attention to you. That’s where Believe It Or Not I Care (BIONIC), a club started by senior Genevieve Saldanha, Berkeley High School (BHS) senior, comes in. BIONIC is an “Umbrella service club that creates and plans service-based events,” Saldanha said. The club is centered around giving back, and that is what it has done for the past two years. The idea came to her when her mom had cancer and her family was receiving many care packages. She realized she wanted to do for her community what they had done for her: provide support and help during a difficult time.
Over the past few years, the club has shifted its focus from supporting people experiencing loss to supporting all people. One of its first projects was to support Antonio Ramos’s family after he was killed in 2015.
The club decided to expand and support the entire BHS community in what little ways they could. Various members recall being asked if they were “for real” giving out the free treats.
Events BIONIC led in the past year include Valentines Grams, UNICEF Bake Sale, and candy distribution on Halloween.
Rose Bielak, BHS senior and the current co-president of BIONIC stated, “My favorite experience so far was definitely handing out Valentines Grams last year. It was really fun to see people’s reactions to receiving a gram and know that we were helping brighten people’s days.”
Bielak said, “Each member has an impact on the club.” While some clubs only have established events for their members to participate in, BIONIC takes each member’s ideas into serious consideration.
Samuel Battles, BHS senior and a member of BIONIC, said, “If you have a vision of something you want to do, we can help you do it.” BIONIC has given members a taste of what it is like to be part of service based organizations. Member Kaya Fields, BHS senior, said,“I joined so I could help my community, and this club has inspired me to give back.” That simple statement is a core value of BIONIC members, and it’s what makes the club so valuable to the BHS community.
BIONIC meets on Tuesdays at lunch in C-128 and is a perfect club to take part in if you are interested in helping the community. Ultimately, BIONIC makes Berkeley High a better place through showing care one kind gesture at a time.