Volunteer START Recap 2008
Total amount in grants distributed: $25,000
Arthur Hill High School - "P.A.Y.S. Drug Education"
Contact: Sarah Venable
Partnering Agency: Prevention and Youth Services
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: The art club at Arthur Hill created visual aids and purchased videos to help with drug prevention programs. As the students worked on their projects after school, a representative from Prevention and Youth Services was there to participate, share knowledge and answer any questions the children had. "It was a fun, educational and meaningful project," said Project Coordinator, Sarah Venable. Overall, the children worked together to make around 27 posters about drugs and alcohol.
Carrollton High School - "Blankets for Baby"
Contact: Christine Schwerine
Partnering Agency: Underground Railroad
Grant Amount: $500.00
Recap: Students at Carrollton used their money to purchase fabric to make blankets so that they could in turn donate them to Underground Railroad. The students wanted to make the blankets so that they could give them to the babies staying at Underground. The High School students also worked with their elementary aged, 4-H peer mentees. Between the high school students and their younger partners, they made 50 blankets total. They were also able to donate the remaining $44 to Underground Railroad. Team Leader, Jessica Banning, said, "throughout this project, our class had to learn teamwork, responsibility, dedication, creativity, timeliness, and leadership skills. I personally enjoyed making the blankets because I was able to show my personality through the fabric of the blanket. I also enjoyed teaching my mentee how to tie the blankets and we had to work as a team to finish making it in time."
Carrollton High School - "Welcome to the Neighborhood"
Contact: Tina Ancel
Partnering Agency: Habitat for Humanity
Grant Amount: $1,000.00
Recap: Students did landscaping around a new home that was built in their community with the support of Habitat for Humanity. The students worked closely with a Landscaping Company to order materials, coordinate delivery schedules, plan the layout, and provide installation.
Carrollton High School - "Empty Bowls Project"
Contact: Cheryl Schaefer
Partnering Agency: Hidden Harvest
Grant Amount: $1,000.00
Recap: The Carrollton media class participated in a world-wide video conference called "Stand Up! Speak Out! Lend a Hand." One of the presenters for this conference was Holocaust survivor, Mrs. Gerda Weissman-Klein. The students seemed most compelled by the hunger issues that faced this survivor and that are still prevalent in our neighborhood today. They decided to partner with Hidden Harvest and use their funding to do an Empty Bowls Dinner. The students thought that it would be fun, emphasize that some people have little to eat during the day, and they felt they could get many people involved. The students also timed this event during Celebrate Carrollton Week to show the community that CHS students have great interest in helping others and giving to their community. The students worked on publicity, tickets, food, decorations, contacts and more. The students also partnered with the art class to make the bowls and the Food Service Director to make the soup. The bowls and a dinner of vegetable soup, water and a roll were sold for $10. The students also used hunger facts to decorate the room. All leftovers were donated to Hidden Harvest, along with the $1,077 they had raised. Their project not only got the students in many different areas involved, they also brought together the staff and community.
Chesaning High School - "Christmas Dinner Gift Baskets"
Contact: Amy Sholtz
Partnering Agency: Chesaning Area Emergency Relief (CAER)
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: The goal of this project was to involve as many students as possible, yet develop a project beyond the traditional spring clean-up projects. The students decided to use their funding and help the Chesaning Area Emergency Relief (CAER) Center pack and distribute Christmas gift baskets. The students used the remaining monies in the Spring to help with the rash pick up along M57 and to help beautify the CAER Center grounds. There were many students involved throughout the school and the CAER Center benefited greatly from the dedication the students provided.
Hemlock High School - "Swing into Spring"
Contact: Louise Fleischmann
Partnering Agency: Commission on Aging
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: This year, students at Hemlock High School decided to host a "Swing Into Spring" event. Nearly 100 senior citizens attended the event at the High School. Students worked hard to decorate the student center. The Foods students planned, prepared and served a delicious meal. Students and staff sought prize donations from local businesses and were so successful that each guest left with a prize. The Jazz Ensemble provided the entertainment. Louise Fleischmann, Project Advisor, said "Swing into Spring was a wonderful opportunity for our students and community to work together to honor our senior citizens. It is also one of the most gratifying and heartwarming service projects that we have even been involved in." The school received many thank-you notes, phone calls and emails in which guests expressed their appreciation for Swing Into Spring. One guest even said, "Now I see students in a whole new light."
Heritage High School - "American Red Cross Project"
Contact: Marie VanTiflin
Partnering Agency: American Red Cross
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: One of the Heritage High students approached the United Way office wanting to help American Red Cross in whatever way she could. After meeting with the executives at American Red Cross and discussing potential projects, they decided to involve the students with two different projects. The first was to donate $1,000 to the agency so that they could provide the necessary supplies for their Care Kits. This was a more cost effective way then buying the supplies on our own and assembling the materials in house. The students then decided to adopt the disaster relief section at the Red Cross building. Students shopped for deals on furniture and decorations for the rooms. Four rooms were completed and the lawn was even mowed before the day was over. Project Leader, Natascha Williams, said "We all felt that it was a tremendous help the Red Cross. Everyone helped out the whole time, and we had a tremendous time doing it. Everyone agreed that getting the grant and applying it to such an organization like Red Cross, was a phenomenal experience."
Merrill High School - "Big Hands, Little Hands, Helping Hands"
Contact: Rebecca Doehring
Partnering Agency: Mitten Bay Girl Scouts - Merrill Chapter
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: Thirty-seven National Honor Society students and Girl Scouts from the Middle and High schools participated in Merrill's "Big Hands, Little Hands, Helping Hands" project. The students raked and bagged leaves, watered plants, pulled weeds, spread mulch and cut shrubs at the homes of nine Merrill senior citizens. They also provided their services at the Elementary, Middle and High schools. Emily De Shone, NHS member, said, "It was a great experience to see how such a little gesture can make such a big difference."
Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy - "Project First Ward"
Contact: John Olvera
Partnering Agency: First Ward Community Center
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: Students worked together to work and clean at the First Ward Community Center and Cathedral Youth Gym Center. The students painted the gym and stage, refurbished the classrooms, and purchased equipment such as shelves, posters, tools and cleaning supplies for the classrooms. The students also worked outside and planted shrubs, replaced mulch, raked the Center and much more. The students had worked in that area on a different project and seen firsthand on how much need there was in the area and why it was important to help. Overall, 49 students worked together and did an outstanding job. "They met the people at the center and learned the need to help them as well as the importance to help others in the community," said John Olvera, Project Advisor.
Saginaw Career Complex - "PARKS"
Contact: Patrick Graham
Partnering Agency: Bridgeport Parks & Recreation
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: Business students at Career Complex went to Bridgeport and helped the parks & recreations add new things to their parks as well as clean it up.
St. Charles High School - "Union Center Butterfly Gardens"
Contact: James Blaschka
Partnering Agency: Union Manor Senior Home
Grant Amount: $2,500.00
Recap: A Butterfly garden was created for residents at Union Manor Senior Home in St. Charles, through the dedication of a group of students. According to James Blaschka, Project Advisor, "the garden was a huge success. The residents at Union Court were very happy to see that the community members put so much of their time into creating a garden that would be there for years to come." Residents are even more excitied to see many of the members returning to make sure that the garden is kept in beautiful shape. The students learned a lot about volunteering, said Blaschka, "many of our members signed up to volunteer at Union Court working with the residents and helping the staff."
Valley Lutheran High School Key Club - "Holiday Greeting Cards"
Contact: Lori Milroy
Partnering Agency: Citizens for Better Care
Grant Amount: $300.00
Recap: The VLHS students made door tags monthly for the residents at the TenderCare home at Center and State in Saginaw. A group of students take the door tags to the residents and hang them up on their doors. Last year the students started getting more comfortable at the end of the year and had started conversing with the residents. This year instead of a 45 minute outing, the students are comfortable sitting and visiting with the residents, which makes it around a 2 hour outing. The students have budgeted their money and supplies so wisely that they will be able to execute this project next year without outside funding.
Valley Lutheran High School Key Club - "Together With Friends"
Contact: Lori Milroy
Partnering Agency: Together with Friends Assisted Living Facility
Grant Amount: $1,100.00
Recap: Students visited and played games with the residents. They also played games, helped with baking tasks, scrapbooks and had a group outing to a Saginaw Spirit hockey game. The students used their funding to help purchase games, scrapbooking supplies and baking utensils.
Valley Lutheran High School Key Club - "High Five for Healthy Kids"
Contact: Lori Milroy
Partnering Agency: Neighborhood House
Grant Amount: $1,100.00
Recap: Students ordered, assembled and delivered a variety of ‘jumping' activities to Neighborhood House. They also put together a small storage rack. Skates were also delivered in April. Director of Neighborhood House, Yvonne Riggins-Thomas has expressed how much the kids love having physical activity equipment other than sports balls. "In this case, IMPACT has enabled us to form a true partnership with Neighborhood House and meet community needs," said Lori Milroy, Project Advisor.
