Tippecanoe Valley Freshmen Become Community Volunteers
Tippecanoe Valley Freshmen Become Community Volunteers
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Tippecanoe Valley Freshmen Become Community VolunteersTippecanoe Valley freshmen volunteered in five communities Tuesday.
According to Tippecanoe Valley High School teacher Jon Hutton, in Warsaw the students worked at Combined Community Services, Animal Welfare League, Lucerne Park and Miller's Merry Manor. They also had a car wash at the Detroit Street Penguin Point to benefit the Greer family, whose mother recently died.A car wash also was held in Mentone, and students worked at Teel's Orchard. In Winona Lake, they worked at the beach and park. They volunteered at the Historical Society in Rochester, and helped out at the animal shelter in Akron.
The volunteer efforts were all part of Valley's second annual day of service for ninth-grade students. Hutton said the service day is a way to encourage the spirit of giving in students.
Along with teachers chaperoning, six Grace College students acted as mentors and chaperones for the students.
Grace students Valerie Swart and Hillary Burgardt are both secondary education majors. Swart said their professor encourages them to go out and volunteer and hang out with students. Burgardt said that gives them a chance to observe high school students and earn some observation time toward their degrees.
Swart said their group started at CCS Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, they were working at the AWL.
"We've learned that high school students are a lot of fun," said Burgardt. "They get easily distracted, but they work hard. They like to have fun, but it makes time go by fast."
AWL staff member Linda Erklin had students in the morning put peanut butter in kongs for the dogs to enjoy. The afternoon group helped clean up some of the cages, refilled water and did some weeding and gardening.
The volunteer efforts are important to AWL, she said.
"It's very necessary. We really depend a lot on our volunteers and days of service," said Erklin.
She said the staff has just enough time to do the basic work and provide medical care. Volunteers help the shelter with the loving, cuddling and companionship of the many animals they receive.
Volunteer orientation is every Saturday at 11 a.m. at the shelter, Erklin said. Volunteers are really needed in the winter time when volunteers and donations drop off.
Freshman Jason Harris was one of the students working at Winona Lake Beach yesterday.
"We painted, raked leaves, cleaned out cabins, picked up sticks, washed windows, cleaned cobwebs, shoveled seaweed and weeded," said Harris.
He said the service day was a good thing because it helps the environment and community. Tuesday was the second time he had volunteered, he said. Previously, he volunteered at his church.
