The students at Cascade Christian Academy (CCA) in Wenatchee, Wash., took time out of their usual Friday schedule on Oct. 24, 2014, to participate in the annual “Make a Difference Day.” CCA’s faculty and staff are focusing on serving others as one of its priorities this year.
The day’s activities began with a combined K–12 chapel featuring a skit entitled “Mission Possible” and acted out by high school students Hannah, Jamie and Ally Stonas and Samantha and Zach Molander. The message challenged students to consider what it may be like to walk in other people’s shoes and find ways to reach out to them like Jesus would.
While the high school students were winterizing and cleaning up around Camp Zanika, located on Lake Wenatchee and owned and operated by the North Central Washington Camp Fire, the junior high students split up into four groups to serve in such activities as reading to and painting fingernails of the residents of Blossom Creek Memory Care Facility, assembling cat toys for the Humane Society, cleaning up around the Lighthouse Ministries’ soup kitchen, and delivering clothing and canned goods collected during “Socktober.” Fifth- and first-grade brothers Justin and Samuel Wagner initiated a sock, winter apparel and food drive during the month of October at CCA. What was collected was donated to the Gospel House, a homeless shelter established through Lighthouse Ministries.
The fourth- and fifth-grade students made cheery placemats decorated with artwork and Bible verses to be taken to River West Assisted Living facility. Kindergarten through second-grade students joined the fourth-graders by delivering the placemats and singing to the residents there. Fifth-graders stayed on campus to move gravel on the playground to its rightful place. Third-graders took time to create lovely cards for the residents at Blossom Valley, another assisted living facility in Wenatchee. They too sang songs and greeted the residents. All the students were well-received and have invitations to return.
Make a Difference Day turned out to be a most productive day for the CCA students and the recipients of their labor. The staff is planning to provide more service opportunities for their students in the near future.
Cascade Christian Academy students make a difference on Make a Difference Day.
Cascade Christian Academy high school students winterized and cleaned up around Camp Zanika for Make a Difference Day.
