Carolyn Rambus
Community Service Liaison
Last Update: September 20th, 2007
Service Committee Update 2006/2007
The month of September was spent reacquainting with one another after summer vacation. We had a new administration, a new teacher- leader, Ms. Margie Lord, and a new president, Hannah Chappell. As well, we had new representatives for the 5th through 8th grade. Initially, we spent some time discussing our goals and dreams for the year, as well as our general philosophies of community service. Our overall plan was to set up a project for each calendar month. The projects would span international, national, regional and local charities. Some projects would involve the middle school only, and others the entire TCS community. We also wanted to broaden our knowledge of different methods of service by hosting educational programs. We had very ambitious goals for our TCS community, and ourselves. As the year unfolded, the middle school committee members not only met, but also often exceeded their goals!
Our kick-off project in October was an example of a regional initiative, an old favorite, creating autumn scarecrows at Bishop's Orchard. This is a project that the, TCS community has been involved with for many years, it pairs a local business, Bishop's Orchard with TCS in raising money for The Community Dining Room in Branford. Middle school students, as well as parents and siblings volunteered for 4-hour shifts during the weekends of October to assist shoppers in making scarecrows and help with traffic control. Using donated clothing, that was stuffed with straw, and given faces, scarecrows were created. It was hard work, very messy, and raised a lot of funds for the Dining Room. One scarecrow with TCS school colors even found his way back to the farmhouse, and visited for fall term!
Because of the upcoming holidays, November is traditionally a time when we think of the needy and hungry. This month we hosted the can van for the Shoreline Soup Kitchens. This has historically been a bi-annual event for the TCS Service Committee. The TCS van was parked in front of the school for a week. The entire school got involved, lower and middle school students along with faculty brought in non-perishable food items to fill the van. We also received a large food donation from the Madison Food Bank. Mr. Acheson graciously created a can van sign based on Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can. The collections were astounding! The students had to compete with cans for space in the van, which was bursting at the seams!! The middle school students accompanied Ms. Lord and Mrs. Ridinger to deliver and stock the pantries for a busy holiday season.
In December, the Holiday Boutique once again offered the Service Committee an opportunity to collect for charities. The group decided to split the collections for both Heifer International and John McDonough High School in New Orleans to help restock the library shelves after Hurricane Katrina. The boutique shoppers were very generous, and we collected $711 for Heifer International and $1,085 for McDonough High School.
December was indeed a very busy month. We hosted Cheryl Chandler from Haddam-Killingworth Youth and Family Services. Cheryl gave the group an informative discussion of her agency's mission and program. We then teamed with Cheryl for holiday donations. The middle school advisor groups took the lead, and collected boxes filled with gifts, and gift cards for 23 children, aged 6 months to 17 years and 11 adults in the Haddam-Killingworth area. Many teachers generously delivered the packages for distribution to the families. TCS really helped to brighten the holidays for a lot of families.
After the holiday vacation, the Service Committee was re-charged and ready to face the new year with a great deal of energy and new ideas. We paired with the Madison Police Department for collections for soldiers. We collected many "luxury" items, such as notepaper, magazines, chewing gum, and hand-held fans that were mailed to soldiers in Iraq.
In February, we again hosted an educational program. Paul Liepelt and his wife (son and daughter-in-law) of TCS staff, Nancy Liepelt, visited The Service Committee. They gave a very informative talk and slide show of their lives as teachers, missionaries in Nigeria. The students left the meeting feeling very appreciative of TCS, after seeing the mud walled one-room schoolhouse.
In February, the committee members sponsored a favorite, annual, local event, Valentine-Grams. The middle schoolers had the opportunity to deliver friendly messages and chocolate to their classmates and teachers!! This event raised $200.
The students decided to split the proceeds. A portion of the proceeds went to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science to adopt a snowy owl (like Archimedes). The institute helps care for rescued raptors in the New England region. It is also a natural science center which promotes education, research and care for a healthy natural environment. The other portion of the Valentine-Gram funds was also used for an environmental initiative, but right here at home, our TCS campus. The students worked with Mr. Powers and the facilities department to purchase and install energy-saving light bulbs on campus. This project contributed to the "greening" of TCS.
The springtime for the Service Committee continued with very ambitious and student originated projects. We sponsored another can van for the Community Dining Room. The unavailability of the van in the spring didn't deter the committee members. They put a new twist to the project and instead collected the items in a plastic baby pool, and invited the community to "make a splash". This collection was less successful than the fall collection, but still supplied a great deal of goods to the food pantry. The year ended with a very successful initiative lead by the 7th grade representatives, Sarah Muskin and Emily Perzanoski, a bake sale to support Malaria-No-More. This is a program that provides life-saving bed nets to families in Africa to protect them from mosquitoes carrying the deadly malaria parasite. The baked goods were donated from the lower and middle school and sold in the courtyard after school. This project raised over $300, supplying more than 30 nets for African families.
This summer marked out third year that TCS has volunteered on a monthly basis at the Community Dining Room. TCS families prepare and serve meals on the third Tuesday of each month to hungry families on the shoreline. Our volunteers have included heads of school, faculty, alumni, middle and lower school students, parents and siblings. They have prepared delicious, nutritious meals to hundreds of people.
Overall, the Service Committee had a very successful year. We helped with charities in the international, national, regional and local communities. The kids worked very hard and were committed to attending meetings every week during their lunch periods. They presented very amazing ideas in a very mature and giving manner. They gave of themselves, contributing time, energy and unique talent. I am very privileged to be a part of the committee with these students. TCS is very proud to include these generous, exceptional students in their community.
-Carolyn Rambus |
