Vineyard Christian students volunteering in the community

Vineyard Christian Middle School students have been busy out in our community being servant focused throughout this school year.

It is important for our students to learn about the giving of their time and talents to help the people in our Lodi community.

Each year our students work through our ministry of Hope for Tomorrow to raise money for a worthy cause. This year students are working on raising money to find a cure for SMA (spinal muscular atrophy). The VCMS founding principal, Karen Hale, has a granddaughter who has SMA. The students felt it was important to raise funds to make an impact on finding a cure.

On Nov. 2, VCMS hosted a “Game-a-Thon” on campus with all proceeds going to Cure SMA. Students rotated through game stations, trying to fill their game card for a “Blackout.” Students got pledges for each square on their game card as well as flat donations from family and friends. The students raised over $7,000!.

KCRA Kids Can Food Drive

In 2 1/2 short weeks, VCMS students collected almost 300 cans for the Lodi Salvation Army.

Be sure to stop by and donate money when we will be ringing the red kettle bell for the Salvation Army on Dec. 8.

Grace & Mercy

Our seventh-graders volunteered at Grace and Mercy last week serving food, organizing the pantry and packing boxes for families to pick up. In December our sixth-graders will go back to donate toys. A VCMS alum, Clayton Young, helped Grace and Mercy with their garden for his Eagle Scout project.

Benson Tract cleanup

In an effort to serve our community and be good neighbors, VCMS students canvassed the Benson Tract neighborhood this week to rake leaves. The annual trek into the area serves as an outreach as well as a fun morning for the students. It has become a fall tradition.

In the community

In addition to all of the school activities, the VCMS Students have gone outside of school this semester as well, serving two hours on their own time each quarter. Some students have served at their church, served at the Hospice Butterfly Auxiliary Luncheon, the City of Lodi’s Haunted Hutchins, and Lodi House events.

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH Student Clayton Young at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Young helped create a garden at Grace and Mercy as part of his Eagle Scout project.

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH Vineyard Christian Middle School students, above and below, at the Game-A-Thon fundraiser.

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH Vineyard Christian Middle School seventh-graders volunteer at Grace and Mercy.