Excerpts 33

On August 15,1993, the Pope directed congregants to "Look for the hidden saints!"One of those saints was posing as a young man and was discovered and publicized by Paul Harvey on his August 5, 1984 broadcast. His story would be equally at home on a segment of the Oprah Winfrey Show featuring "random acts of kindness". The young man in question had been saving a long time to purchase a car. Finally he was ready and went to an auction where he observed a disabled woman bidding on a van. The price exceeded her ability and so the young man continued the bidding and presented the van to the woman. He figured he'd get a car for himself another day. His generosity was recognized and rewardedÒsomething, that doesn't really happen that often. More often than not good deeds go unrecognized and perhaps should be that much sweeter to those that practice them "in secret." In this case, however, the amount of attention lavished on the giver should not go unnoticed by us as we explore the condition of our nation. The late model light blue Honda Accord that was presented to this praiseworthy young man, along with enough money to send him to college, says something about our nation's rapacious hunger for heroes. "In Boston, 300 Brookline High School students are involved in 30 community service projects, including tutoring local elementary school students." Erica Haines, Phoenix High School Phoenix, OregonIn a large community less than a hundred miles south of San Francisco, Project Health Start serves newborns through the first two years of life. It targets families who are not eligible for government subsidies but are not wealthy enough to afford private care. There were 200 spots open in August 1993. Income eligible example=family with one child; $19,860. Hospital employees raised the money to finance free immunizations and other care for these families.Dr. George Roger started Special Days in 1979. Special Days is a camp for kids with cancer. The idea is to help these children develop a positive attitude. "After the 1992 riots in Los Angles, a youth service program called Humanitas was begun at Thomas Jefferson High School. The program encourages kids to take initiatives to solve community problems." Tim Moore, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas"Teenagers can be responsible, too. Just recently my school had a blood drive and we also had an ecology day. On this day we cleaned up the entire school from picking up trash at the football field to painting the bathrooms." Jennifer Pilarczyk, Falls City High School, Falls City, Texas"In Waseca, Minnesota, high school students have done everything from organizing a miniature golf-a-thon for the American Cancer Society to spearheading a clothing drive that overflowed a semi-trailer truck with skirts, shirts, pants, dresses, coats and shoes." Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon"In my community Habitat for Humanity is trying to build up walls, literally. New homes are built for low-income or homeless families at little or no cost to them. All materials and labor are donated by local contractors and citizens. As we work together to build these homes our sense of community pride is strengthened and everyone benefits."Amy Deehr, Freeman High School, Rockford, WashingtonResults is a citizens lobby which seeks to intercede between people and government. Results brings together plumbers, teachers, homemakers, artists and salesmen---ordinary people who contact their elected officials and attempt to call attention to social problems and solutions."There are many responsible high school students who are lending a helpful hand to our society. Angela Badger, a health occupation student at Battle Ground High School, assists in her high school and elementary school health rooms. She also teaches first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation to local community groups. Betsy Radigan operates Project Safe Summer, a project aimed at [steering] youth away from vandalism and other negative activity during the summer. Her efforts helped create community sponsored events that served 345 at risk youths in grades first through eighth in Portland. Both of these girls are helping their peers, the ones who tend to look to someone their own age, who they can relate to, and help them understand and change for the better." Rosa Garcia, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, OregonAn emphasis on the environment:"In Ashby, Minnesota, elementary and middle school students have spent after school hours on Wednesdays for the last three years collecting recyclable materials from the town's 500 residents. The city matches what the kids make, then uses the money to operate the community center that's shared by the students and senior citizens." Erica Haines, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon"On the last day of school the elementary students and the teachers of Froid go around and clean up garbage. Each class has a certain section of the town for which they are responsible." Holly Waters, Froid High School, Froid, Montana"Our Environmental Club is very active in the community. In the past year they have planted trees and flowers along Main Street, recycled paper, picked up trash around our school, and made applebutter." Jenni Tarner, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania"Interact clubs are funded by Rotary clubsÐ The Interact club of Armwood High School has made a very good impression in the Greater Brandon community by the standards that they have set in community service awards and their dedication to their motto: "Service Above Self". They have found their own way to help clean up the environment and try to get everyone in the community as involved as they can." Dennis Clanney, Armwood High School, Seffner, Florida"There is a recycling club in DeForest High School. Our high school was the first high school in Wisconsin to start to recycle. This group has set plastic containers in all rooms including the cafeteria, so students can recycle paper, cans, or bottles. If there is a product that we, as a high school, can recycle, the recycling group will inform the student body. Ðmany people care about our environment but don't know how to help. [The recycling Club shows people] how they can help and people respond." Matt Laufenberg, DeForest High School, DeForest, Wisconsin"In Sweet Home, New York and in Howard and Baltimore Counties, Maryland, superintendents formed representative groups of community leaders that included people as ideologically diverse as fundamentalist ministers and ACLU attorneys. They held public forums and listened to community opinion. Together the group produced a list of values with which everyone was comfortable. These values were incorporated into the school districts' curriculum." Jeremy Wyatt, Camden High School, Camden, TennesseeHigh School Students Help Elementary Students"I believe that children should be taught their values at home, but [they] can also be incorporated throughout the child's educational years. I am involved in the Big Sister program at my school. I feel that when the support and help that a young child needs isn't found at home that it can be brought around by an older individual outside the family scene. My little sister and I do a variety of things from academic tasks that she needs help in to playing board games or reading a book. I have been told by her that I have a great influence on her life and that she's glad that she has someone to look up to. It makes one feel [good] to know that they have made a difference in someone's life." Jennifer Patterson, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania"In Sidney, Montana, the high school athletic program started the Big Eagle-Little Eagle organization. This is a drug-free program where high school students, Big Eagles, are examples to the grade-schoolers, Little Eagles. The object of the organization is to teach children to be drug-free." Lisa Haber, Froid High School, Froid, Montana"The Detroit Westside Cultural and Athletic Center uses teenage volunteers to work with young children. The idea is to use good students who will replace gang members as role models for the children." Bryan Williams, Ramsey High School, Ramsey, Illinois"Some students at my high school in Colby have volunteered to teach religious education to grade school students in our church on Wednesday nights. The classes are going quite well and the students and children are having a great time learning." Sandra K. Aschenbrenner, Colby High School, Colby, Kansas"A local program which may prove to be very beneficial in our community is a group of high school students called White Hats. There are about sixty White Hats at my high school; our main project is working with grade school students in need of a role model, someone to look up to, or just someone to talk to! Each White Hat is assigned to a grade school student which will be their own little buddy throughout high school, and probably for a lifetime. Children often get confused about good and bad role models, especially when there are none in the home. Being involved in White Hats makes me feel like I am actually making a difference in someone's life, to make a child feel like someone really does care, and to give them someone to look up to. It is important to start kids off right at an early age; to give them morals and values which can follow them for a lifetime." Mena Brittain Blair, Harrisburg High School, Harrisburg, Illinois "Speaking from experience, young children look up to their 'big' brother or sister. I tried to stay out of trouble and get good grades for my sister, so she would hopefully follow my example." Chad Prosser, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvaniasser, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania