Sophomore Service Day Successful
posted 5/25/18 -- Cultural icon and boxing legend Muhammad Ali proclaimed: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on this Earth.”Like an Ali-Frazier rematch, and Lorain County Community Action Agency (LCCAA) and Lorain City Schools (LCS) were out in the community again, making a difference and having a positive effect on literally thousands of lives through service and empowerment.
After a very successful Senior Service Day on which 400 Lorain High senior class students performed more than 25 community service projects throughout the county, LCS and LCCAA were at it again. This time there were nearly 600 Lorain High Sophomores at 37 locations throughout the county.
“It is really pretty inspiring when you sit back and take a look at this,” said Bobby Taylor Youth Services Coordinator at LCCAA. “These young men and women are future leaders in our community, and here they are, with smiles on their faces, getting out and changing their world, changing our world, and doing it one day at a time. It is refreshing to see how motivated by action, positive, and influential these young people can be when we give them an opportunity to show it.”
LCCAA and LCS developed relationships with some new partners throughout the county on their previous service day and this time around they expanded their reach in the community and in the county.
Partners hosting volunteers included: Admiral King Elementary, Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Center, Catholic Charities, Childcare Resource Center, Common Ground, El Centro, Family Promise, Frank Jacinto Elementary, Friendship APL, Garfield Elementary, General Johnnie Wilson, Habitat for Humanity Restore (Amherst), Harrison Cultural Center, Hawthorne Elementary, Helen Steiner Rice, Horizon Education Center, Invest Elyria, Larkmoor Elementary, LMHA, Longfellow Middle School, Lorain County Metro Parks (Lakeview Beach), Lorain Historical Society (Moore House), Lorain Palace Theater, Murray Ridge, Neighborhood Alliance Child Care Center, Oberlin Community Services, O'Neill's Healthcare, North Ridgevile, Palm Elementary, Pass It On/Vine of Hope, Salvation Army, Sprenger Autumn Aegis, Stevan Dohanos, The Woods on French Creek Health Center, Toni Morrison Elementary, and Washington Elementary.
“Lorain City Schools and Matthew Kielian have been an amazing partner,” Taylor said. “Without their dedicated staff, passionate leadership and motivated students, this would not be possible. We cannot wait to do it again.”
Students worked with the elderly, helped teach children and contributed to cleaning up some of businesses and organizations around the county. This not only was good for these organizations to see how passionate the students could be when organized, it also is a way for our future leaders to get out and see what Lorain County has to offer.
These young men and women proved that with some effort, anyone can get out and serve their community and empower the residents. As Ali would say, they paid their rent.