For our sixth and final volunteer project of Anna’s Day of Kindness weekend, we held our first all-alumni event. After four years of providing middle school students opportunities to serve the less fortunate, we now have over 125 Anna’s Kindness ‘alums’ who are in high school and still wish to serve others.
And so on Sunday afternoon, more than a dozen high school students and many of their parents converged on Peace Neighborhood Center, which provides education and social services to underserved families in the community.
The volunteers worked together in teams and — under the tutelage of master gardener Sue Van Appledorn and her fellow gardeners — cut out shrubs, pulled weeds, raked the gardens, edged, and poured mulch around the entrance and front of the center.
But even more impressive than our volunteers’ work ethic and ‘can do, will do’ attitude was their dedication
Sunday’s forecasted rain began to fall midway through the project, but our volunteers were dressed for the weather and determined to finish the gardens. So it was hoods up, heads down (or in some cases umbrellas up) as the team worked double-time to complete their assignments while being pelted with rain.
It fills our hearts with joy to see Anna’s Kindness alumni return and join us for a project. The response was overwhelming. Thank you to Skyline High School’s Deon Wilson, Tommie Clarke, Arjun Joshi, Emily Plum, Bailey Edison and Alex LeFort; Pioneer High School’s Hayley Marchand, Mia Sanborn, Tessa Hanrath, Melanie Valtadoros, and Selvi Aquiles-Sanchez; Community High School’s Christopher Van Lent and Hans Rober; Huron High School’s Kriya Jaiganesh (and her sister Lakshya); and Forsythe Middle School staff member Leanne Hinz.
Special thanks to the parents of Hayley, Bailey, Kriya, Melanie, Selvi, and Arjun who stayed and worked alongside their student. We couldn’t have finished without you. And finally, thank you to Sue and her gardening team for their leadership, and to Bonnie and Peace Neighborhood Center for allowing us to help transform the grounds for the children and families you serve.
#randomactsofanna
