So many ways to give back
The Rock Canyon High School junior varsity soccer team, including Mason Baker (left) and Jason McHenry (right), gathered at their coach’s home to make burritos for the homeless in Denver. The team distributed 1,200 homemade burritos in Civic Center Park.
By Madison Merritt, RCHS intern writer; courtesy photo
Volunteering is a big part of some students’ lives at Rock Canyon High School (RCHS). Students are required to volunteer 20 hours in order to graduate, but that’s certainly not a limit. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and the holiday season provides many amazing opportunities.
Justina Wiser, a sophomore at RCHS and Castle Pines resident, volunteers with the Reading Buddies program at Douglas County Libraries – Castle Pines. The program pairs a high school student with an elementary school student to read together. “My experience with Reading Buddies was positive due to the fact that I got to connect with someone in a different age group and help expand their English skills. I would recommend it to anyone, not only because it’s great volunteer hours but because overall, it was a positive experience for me and my reading buddy,” said Wiser.
Alex LaMotte, a sophomore at RCHS and Castle Pines resident said, “The organization that our family does volunteering for is called Paws on the Ground. We do things like helping at adoption events, transporting dogs from various places around the country, and we used to help out at this shelter… near Kiowa.”
“We make burritos. The soccer team goes out to our coach’s house, and we make burritos or sandwiches for the homeless, and then we go distribute them in Civic Center Park,” Trent Cargo, a junior at RCHS said.
You can also volunteer by buying hamburgers from Burger King, driving to Denver and handing them out to the homeless. This is a great thing to do on Christmas Eve night, and hamburgers, cheeseburgers and chicken are all $1 at Burger King. If you set a budget at $10, you can feed 10 hungry people.
The holiday season is a great time of the year to volunteer because of so many ways to get involved and serve your community. This December, you can donate food items to a local food bank or bring toys to your local Castle Pines King Soopers to put in the Together 4 Colorado bin out front. Volunteer your time at Legacy Village of Castle Pines by helping residents with crafts, bingo, knitting and more.
This holiday season, try to get involved! Visit www.volunteerconnectdc.org for a community resource that connects volunteers with organizations in Douglas County. To learn more about Legacy Village, visit www.legacyvillagecastlepines.com. To learn more about Paws on the Ground, visit www.pawsonthegroundcolorado.com.
