On Feb. 14, the We Help Others (WHO) club at Niles North orchestrated a celebration to show appreciation towards the custodial staff at Niles North. The event included a panel of seven custodial staff to share their story about where they came from, what struggles they face, what it feels like to work at Niles North, and they were open to answer any questions the audience had.

The custodians of Niles North faced a lot of hardship coming to America. Five of the staff came from Syria, one of them came from Poland, and one from Italy. The staff from Syria fled because of ISIS and other terror groups. They left their homes and communities behind for an opportunity in America.

“I had a big house, a nice car, and I had a business.  I want to go back to my country,” Eva Shurki said.

The staff really likes to work at Niles North. They appreciate the nice teachers and students at Niles North. They enjoy being greeted in the hallway.

“I am happy when people greet me,” Ghanima Barko said.

One of the custodians had some complaints about the respect from students and keeping things clean. They don’t like seeing the bathrooms messy, rude comments written on the stalls, and broken equipment. They want to see more respect of the school property but they are happy to be appreciated.

“It’s not okay to put toilet paper everywhere. They broke the door. I don’t like it when the jokes are written on the stalls,” Hala Al Hdad said.

The purpose of Custodial Appreciation Day is “to honor the people behind the scenes. They do the work. It’s important to thank them for that,” Ariane Taraki, WHO Club member, said.

The custodians do so much so remember to thank the custodians in the hallway and greet them.