Community service is an integral part of campus life at Columbia Adventist Academy. Led by our Campus Ministries Department and Matthew Butte, chaplain, students are out serving their local community at least once a month throughout the school year.
"Community service is great because we get to skip school, bond with friends, and share the love of God with those outside our normal association—all in the same day," says Alacia Hendrix, senior.
We kicked off this year with an all-school community service day in September. Students chose places such as Shepherd's Door that helps the Portland homeless, the Oregon Humane Society, the Oregon Food Bank, Battle Ground Head Start, Vancouver Parks and Recreation, and other deserving organizations.
Each of the four classes also traditionally take part in a service day of their own. This year, the senior class spent a day in November at local radio station 101.9 KINK-FM. They assisted in the radio-athon to raise funds for the Portland Rescue Mission. Our students answered phone calls and took pledges from the listeners calling in to support the cause.
Erika Sanderson, senior, says, "I enjoy community service days because they let me show Christ to others."
The junior class spent a day in December working both at the Meadow Glade Adventist Church Community Service Center and doing yardwork at intersections on local roads as well as digging a ditch for a local homeowner. Those who worked at the Community Service Center organized food boxes with the canned goods the Pathfinders had collected during their "walk-n-knock" program.
The Meadow Glade Church also has a home makeover program where students help members who may be unable to do their own home or yard work. The sophomore class helped out with the program in January—spending the day at homes doing yard work, clearing brush and trimming trees.
This month, the freshmen class will be going out for their own Community Service Day.
Matt Anderson, student association president, says, "I have been on a lot of community service days and have to admit that not all the jobs are very fun. But most of the time I didn't notice because we were all happy and working hard together to get it done. We were out in the community doing good things for others, and yet we were gaining a blessing ourselves. It really helped to raise the school spirit, as well."
From left: Megan Haffermann, Savannah Jones and Petra Spreadborough, CAA sophomores, clean up a shoreline at the Vancouver Water Resources Education Center.
A group of CAA students along with Matthew Butte, sponsor, spend a day of service at the Southwest Washington Humane Society.
Hannah Watson, junior, and Heather Smith, freshman, take a moment to have some fun during community service day.
From left: Marissa Harris, Joe–D Gutman and Jessica Russell, CAA freshmen, work to clean up Vancouver's Water Resources Education Center.
