Love for our community is so vital to improving the quality of life for everyone. Whether it is participating in a beach cleanup or volunteering at a homeless shelter, showing love for the community touches more people than one might think. A terrific example of this kind of love is Zoe Bartels, the founder of the Love One Another Club (LOAC) here at Laguna Beach High School.
“I started LOAC because I’ve always loved kindness and sharing it with others!” Zoe shared. Her enthusiasm for caring for those around her compelled her to start a club that focuses on just that. At the LOAC meetings, members participate in mindful arts and crafts activities that will inspire gratitude, and they plan and discuss upcoming volunteer opportunities. All of these activities are meant to create an environment of self-love, appreciation, and kindness. Currently, Zoe plans to continue the club under a different name next year and the club’s collaboration with Thurston Middle School and Top of the World Elementary. At these two schools, LOAC has helped to paint the garden beds and plant more greenery to encourage the students to take care of nature and develop an appreciation for the environment. These projects further the club’s impact not only on the high school but also on the middle and elementary schools in Laguna Beach.
Zoe’s love for the community and helping others has been evident throughout her entire life. “I started doing services like this when I was little because my dad is an artist, and my family always preached gratitude,” she remarked. Her father’s way of showing love for the community was through his art, and it inspired her to find her own ways to spread kindness. At LOAC, it is clear that one of the main values of the group is gratitude, which seems to be taken from the founder’s own core values. The lessons from Zoe’s parents have led to the creation of a club that preaches and demonstrates values of love, kindness, and gratitude, all of which should be more evident in every community around the world.
Before LOAC, Zoe created her own ways to spread love, especially in hard times like the pandemic. “In particular, doing kindness notes during the COVID-19 lockdown with my neighbor inspired me to promote love in my community,” Zoe reminisces. Prompted by a clear need to demonstrate kindness during such hard times, she found a small, simple way to do so, and it brought smiles to the people in her neighborhood and school. Through her club, Zoe hopes to inspire others to take action in whatever way that they can. Furthermore, Zoe states, “I try to promote love in my community by acting in LOAC and being kind to all.” Her new club has become her voice and platform to demonstrate how caring for others can make an unimaginably bigger impact than anyone would think.
Although we might think there is enough love in our community and that we are doing enough, there is never a shortage of love, and LOAC and Zoe’s efforts are a clear example of this. With an impact on three schools in Laguna Beach, this club’s mission to inspire kindness cannot be overlooked. It is important to encourage and demonstrate one’s core values as Zoe is doing with her club. Love will always shine through and shine bright in those around you.
