Athens Renaissance students contribute back to the community
Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, June 8, 2022
- Helping Hands students at the Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter. The Helping Hands club at Athens Renaissance is comprised of sixth through 12th graders volunteering to give back to their community.
Helping Hands is a sixth through 12th grade community service club that contributed to the community throughout this year.
Cassidy Russell, a teacher at Athens Renaissance School, worked with the students to help them make plans and get involved with the community. While she led the students, she worked to make sure the students had a chance to lead the group.
“I started off new to the community, so I didn’t know specifically what to get involved in. I allowed the students to brainstorm, and we worked together to come up with ideas on how we could serve the community,” said Russell. “So, every project that we did, really, the students led. I had to, you know, throw an idea out there, but they took it and ran.”
These middle- and high- school students didn’t just work during the school year. Their desire to help others extended into their breaks.
“One specifically was when we went to the Limestone Manor and did the gingerbread houses with the residents. It was over Christmas break, so they took time out of their break from school to come and give back to the community. So, it was very student-driven and I was just there to lead and support,” Russell said.
Below is a glimpse of how students contributed:
- over 50 letters sent to troops overseas
- cleaning supplies/games collected and delivered to assisted living
- Thanksgiving cards created for assisted living
- Valentine’s cards/crafts sent to assisted living
- gingerbread houses/fellowship with nursing home residents
- volunteered at animal shelter
- donated supplies to animal shelter
- over 400 bars of soap donated to United Way of Athens
“I hope that they just take responsibility and pride themselves in helping others. They are in middle school and high school, so they’re still super young and to see their eyes light up when they’re able to help,” said Russell. “It was just amazing, seeing their willingness, and their working together.” She said she thanks the parents, too, “For getting them to all of our events and donating everything, but the kids were so excited and worked together and they took responsibility for everything that they did this year.”
