High school seniors spend day volunteering

Lorain High School participated in the district’s first Volunteer Day.

Lorain High School, in partnership with Lorain County Community Action Agency and Buckeye Health Plan, participated in the district’s first Volunteer Day on Feb. 27.

Michael Hibbard, community relations representative for Buckeye Health Plan, explained the day featured 400 hundred seniors from Lorain High School providing a day of service to different organizations, agencies and schools in the area.

The students served where there was a need — reading to and encouraging elementary school kids to helping out at a food pantry, he said.

Bobby Taylor, youth services coordinator for LCCAA, said Lorain High, was very interested in seeing what services the students could provide.

“When the school came to me, we started looking at how they could positively serve the community in one days time,” he said. “There are always areas of need and I knew Buckeye Health Plan would love to get involved, so it was one of those nobrainer type of opportunities.”

Matthew Kielian, student program specialist at Lorain High, said the Volunteer Day was created due to the ACT.

“Juniors have to take the ACT which is vital for their academic career and what they will do at the next level,” he said. “We wanted to give the other grades something else to do, so we have freshman and sophomore making college trips and our seniors are volunteering throughout the community.”

Kielian said the students were involved in choosing where they would volunteer.

“Some students chose to go back to their old elementary or middle school and volunteer to help the kids there,” he said. “This includes reading to them and eating lunch together. There were also some students who like animals so they signed up to go to the county APL and help out there for the day.

“It was really want they wanted to do, and they are all very excited about the opportunity.”

Jonathan Merchant, a 17-year-old senior said the day was his way to give back to a community that has given him so much.

“I’ve lived in Lorain my whole life,” he said. “This community helped support my family and raise me to be who I am today. I feel if I’m fortunate enough to be in a position to help someone, I should offer that help and make this community a better place.”

Tatianna Ammons, another 17-year-old senior, said Volunteer Day gave her a chance to positively impact someone’s day.

“Doing something to help someone else makes their day, but it makes you feel better too,” she said. “It’s better to take a selfless approach to things and see how you can help someone. Something as simple as greeting someone with a smile can make a world of difference.”