Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, or better known as FCCLA, is a student led organization that mainly focuses on family and the community. It helps students gain skills and have opportunities for their future.

Currently, FCCLA is taking donations of canned goods, toiletries, and donations are turned into H1. Although the deadline for donations was Dec. 7, FCCLA is continuing to accept donations if more come in.

“Other students can help by joining FCCLA and they can also help right now by donating canned food and toiletries for our current community service project we are doing for the Presbyterian night shelter and the community caring shelter,” FCCLA president and senior Leylanie Perez said.

FCCLA also helps prepare students for having a family of their own in the future.

“We believe that everything you learn at school, and perhaps one day at college to prep for that career, is to help take care of your future family,” family and consumer science teacher and FCCLA adviser Natasha Deramee said. “This could also impact other families as well.”

FCCLA doesn’t only help prepare students for helping other families, it also helps gain leadership qualities.

“This club gives you many opportunities to learn what a leader is and also gives you leadership opportunities,” Perez said. “FCCLA also focuses on family and we do that by helping families with volunteering and other activities.”

FCCLA focuses on anything in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) and could help students compete for scholarships in Waco.

“There are a lot of leadership opportunities, competitions, scholarship opportunities, etc.,” junior Vice president Anna Latta said.

FCCLA also has a system in place to help plan meetings and run smoothly. The president plans these meetings.

“In the position, I lead both member and officer meetings,” Perez said. “I also plan the meetings with the advisors and something that I need to do is make sure I’m always present.”

Along with positions in local FCCLA chapters, members can also compete regionally and become an officer in a broader group.

“I am the local vice president and the Texas FCCLA Region II Vice president of membership,” Latta said. “In my regional position, I am in charge of Honorary membership. Honorary membership is where FCCLA chapters throughout the region can nominate people in their communities who have helped the loca FCCLA, as well as the community in general”

FCCLA isn’t only about competing or just volunteering. They do many other fun activities that students can participate in such as face painting, children’s activities, passing out free water at the Sting Fling, window painting for Christmas at Red’s and baking cookies for the Azle Fire Fighters

“Others should join FCCLA because there’s a lot of things we try and do every year like decorating, region, volunteering and you can run for office for our chapter,” Perez said.

Members encourage other students to join FCCLA for many benefits in both leadership and social skills.

“Originally when I got into it, I had no clue what FCCLA was or what they did,” Latta said. “One of my teachers basically said, ‘Hey you should do this club. We need officers and I think you would be a great fit.’ Now it is one of my biggest things in my life at the moment. I have grown so much as a leader and as a person through FCCLA.”