JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers ONE GOOD TURN—Moorpark High School students Bentley Strickland, Brittney Pollock, Taylor Williams and Alicia Carter promote random acts of kindness by wearing Pay It Forward bracelets and handing out flyers on campus Dec. 18. Moorpark High School juniors Taylor Williams and Alicia Carter established the Pay It Forward Club in 2008 to help others by doing unsolicited good deeds while earning required community service hours for graduation.

"Paying it forward is an act of kindness, passing on of a favor or doing a good deed that has been done for you, and rather than 'paying it back,' you 'pay it forward,'" Williams said.

"It's all about the feeling of doing something good," said Carter.

In addition to inspiring its members, the new club aims to encourage everyone in the community to take action when the opportunity presents itself.

"Basically, do something nice for someone else when you recognize the need. Let's help make this world a better place one act at a time," Williams said.

A book written by author Catherine Ryan Hyde in 2000 inspired the concept of "paying it forward." A movie based on the book was released later that year.

The author and others also established the Pay It Forward Foundation to educate and inspire students to change the world with unsolicited good deeds and to provide them with opportunities to do so.

What began as a work of fiction has become much more, but the idea to "pay it forward" isn't new, Ryan Hyde said in an interview with the Moorpark Acorn. Everything that transpired after the book and movie were released can be credited to people such as the founders of the Moorpark High Pay It Forward club, she said.

"They are the ones out there doing the real work. If I inspired them, I'm glad," Ryan Hyde said. "People have to bring their own inspiration to the party, and the local students obviously rose to that challenge."

The club now has about 30 members.

Conni Simons, a biology teacher at MHS and the adviser for the local club, said she's impressed with the drive of the club's founders.

"The officers were extremely motivated young ladies, and they began to brainstorms numerous ideas on how to help the community," Simons said.

When the Metrolink train accident occurred, the Pay It Forward club was eager to help out, she said.

"The officers gathered their troops and decided to do a community garage sale, and all money raised would go to the families of those affected by the accident."

The garage sale brought in $1,400 for the families.

The club event that followed in November earned $250 for the Moorpark Food Pantry, and volunteers helped at the recent Kiwanis' Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 13.

On Dec. 18, the club organized a Random Acts of Kindness Day. Members handed out bracelets to their peers at MHS during lunchtime, encouraging recipients to forward the kindness.

"We don't know where our one action will lead. We may not see the change immediately, but like ripples in a pond after a small pebble is thrown in, the movement continues and expands and spreads out," Williams said.

"That's the concept of pay it forward. It's our goal to have neighboring cities join in our efforts."

Williams, who volunteers at Holy Cross and hopes to become a dentist or a dermatologist when she graduates from college, said her idol is Audrey Hepburn.

"She was very much into helping people in Third World countries."

Williams and Carter are also involved in sports. Carter is on the volleyball and track teams, and Williams is a member of the tennis and track teams.

Leaders of the Pay It Forward club are now brainstorming new ideas for 2009. They're always looking for new members, they said, especially high school seniors who need more community service hours or people who have a cause that the club can help fulfill.