More than two hundred and sixty junior high and high school students from six Adventist schools located across Western Washington arrived on Orcas Island in late September for the first-ever school community impact service event.
Service event leaders designed the community service day to create an impact in the Orcas Island community, create greater public exposure to Adventist Christian education and foster greater unity among academy students in western Washington.
Volunteers worked on 17 different projects, including conservation work, affordable housing, caring for the elderly, road safety and community beautification. In all, 11 different local agencies benefited from the students' work. Organization leaders appreciated the volunteers' willingness to help with community building and the opportunity to share a mutual love of the island.
"Those students did more in half a day than our staff could do in several months, including weed whacking the entire perimeter, waxing all six of our engines and helping us clean the apparatus bays in Eastsound," says Mike Harris, fire chief, in an Islands' Sounder newspaper article. "Their enthusiasm, teamwork and overall attitude were as good as I've ever seen."
Students represented Orcas Christian School, Skagit Adventist School, Whidbey Christian Adventist School, Puget Sound Adventist Academy, Buena Vista Adventist Elementary School and Grays Harbor Adventist Christian School.
Students in grades 7–12 from six schools in western Washington provide a day of service to community organizations on Orcas Island. (Colette Newer)
Students from Puget Sound Adventist Academy work on the grounds at Orcas Island Public Library during the school community impact service event organized by Washington Conference's education and community services departments. (Colette Newer)
Students from Skagit Adventist Academy and Orcas Christian School worked to weed thistle out of a clover crop on a farm run by San Juan Land Bank. (Colette Newer)
More than 260 students work together to beautify community organizations on Orcas Island. (Colette Newer)
Service event leaders say they designed the community service day to foster greater unity among junior and senior academy students in western Washington. (Byron Dulan)
