JRHS students hold Community Service Day

By Claire Kivior

Contributing Writer

This past Thursday, James River High School students eagerly braved the cold for the betterment of the community. “Everybody participates, everyone has fun, and they can stand back and say that they made a difference in the community today, just as the community has made a difference in their lives,” said Kyle Kidwell, a teacher at James River High School and leader of Community Service Day. “We allow the opportunity to give back to their community. Your community is what molds you into the person that you are. The community has given a lot to some of these students.”

Community Service Day was started three years ago. The day focuses on helping out the community of Buchanan including local buisnesses, nonprofits, and charities. This year, the students cleaned up the Buchanan Town Park. The students chose the park because of its proximity to their school, and its high usage by community members. They worked on general ground maintenance, picking up trash, mulching, street sweeping, and cleaning the park’s welcome sign.

The day is open to everyone, so students of all four grades attended. In total, there were about 275 students signed up to participate. “They’re giving up their day and their time, but they are learning a hands-on way,” Kidwell said. He hopes that students will come back each year, and eventually the older students will lead the program.

Brian Howard, a junior at James River, has attended Community Service Day all three years. Howard tells of how he serves his community– “I do community service outside of school, too. I love giving back to my community.” This year, Howard is anticipating a good experience for his classmates. “I hope all the kids learn how good community service is,” he said.

Community Service Day is mainly organized and led by students. “They’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks now. They’re the heart and soul that drives it– calling all the sights, making sure everything was good. I’m just the coordinator,” Kidwell said.

“We’ve had a few growing pains but we’re learning how to make smooth transitions; we can make this thing bigger than it already is,” Kidwell added. They are hoping for another day of service in May, possibly even bigger than this one.