When enrolled in Independent Living, students are required to take and complete a community service project sponsored by FCCLA (Family, Careers, and Community Leaders of America). This year’s project was creating handmade pillows and thank you cards for the children undergoing treatment at the Ronald McDonald House.
Beginning in March, students first started with thank you cards, receiving instructions on writing, designing and addressing business thank you cards using letter-sized cardstock paper and envelopes.
By the end of the job application lesson, the students felt confident designing thank you cards by participating in the community service project for Ronald McDonald House, sponsored by The Founders’ Week Committee.
“We participate in a community service project each school year that enables the students to experience real-world exposure to volunteer work,” independent living teacher Karen Simmons said.
Students then underwent basic sewing training where they learned sewing safety, basic hand stitches and how to operate the sewing machines. Once completed, each student was assigned a job, then organized into a student-led assembly line in order from seamstress, inspector, pressor, stuffer and executive director.
In total, the students were able to create 95 pillows and 43 thank you cards for the children at Ronald McDonald House. Students took this project a step further as they also decorated the delivery boxes with all sorts of unique designs, colors and pictures.
“By partaking in community service projects, students witnessed firsthand the hardships and burdens [faced by others] and provided their input on how they can volunteer to make a difference in their community,” Simmons said.
In this day and age, it is important for all students to know how to respect others and offer empathetic support to people struggling with life issues.
“I know how it feels to be struggling,” said freshman Layla Kruithoff. “So being able to help others feels good.”
