Commitment to service is a hallmark of Columbia Adventist Academy in Battle Ground, Wash. Nearly every month of the school year a group of students spends a day serving the community. Students have three opportunities to serve throughout the year: once with their class and twice during all-school service days in the fall and spring.
October brought the first opportunity to serve. This year, students and staff volunteered at a variety of places, including International Children's Care, the Oregon Food Bank and the Battle Ground Head Start. Some students played with children or visited with mentally handicapped adults, while others braved the elements to help the community prepare for winter by stacking wood and cleaning gutters.
Students returned to campus glad they had the opportunity to help people. They recognized the importance of service and appreciated seeing their classmates participate. Lauren Kennedy, a sophomore who helped at the food bank, says, "I thought it was really fun, and it made me feel good helping the community."
Jacob Carter, a junior, says, "It was good to see people doing good things for people who are less fortunate."
The staff also enjoyed working outside of the classroom with their students and seeing them use their gifts to improve the lives of others. After working with a group of students who were spending time with the mentally handicapped, one teacher was told by the director, "Your students are able to engage people who never talk in conversations and to play games that they'll never play when the students aren't here."
The senior class made plans to work with the Battle Ground Head Start program and build a new roof at Pathfinder Paradise in November. The junior class gets their turn in December, when they will be re-packing Walk-and-Knock donations at the Battle Ground Adventist Community Services.
Columbia Adventist Academy (CAA) students enjoy their new friends at the end of a game- and fun-filled day.
