Students Serve Veterans and Their Community
Published:
Fri, 09/11/2009
Students from across Chicago’s northwest suburbs woke up early this weekend and dedicated the beautiful Saturday morning to helping others, as part of the 22nd annual Paint-a-thon.
Around 15 students from the Prospect Heights Service Club participated in the Paint-a-thon, according to Lyndsay MacNab, a member of the group. MacNab said they didn’t mind sacrificing part of their weekend to help out area seniors.
“Throughout the whole year we do all kinds of things in the community,” she said. “It was really rewarding and I just think it’s great to help out people.”
Students Helping Soldiers, a student group from Stevenson High School, painted the home of a woman whose husband served in the military before he passed away.
Dino Moran, a PT teacher at Stevenson and the group’s leader, is a veteran himself. He said the experience of serving seniors and soldiers is a valuable one for the students.
“They paint each other as much as they paint the house,” he said, “but they learn about giving back and they learn about how appreciative people are of their efforts.”
Moran said that this was the group’s sixth year painting the house of a veteran during the Paint-a-thon, but this was their first year being joined by a professional. John O’Keefe worked as a painter for years before leaving it a decade ago to work as a database administrator. He was referred to the group after contacting the Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago and asking how he could help.
O’Keefe said it was great to give the students a few pointers, and see how much satisfaction they gained from volunteering.
“I wish we would have done it more when I was in high school,” he said. “I guess maybe I was just too preoccupied like the typical teenager.”
After they finished painting the house, trimming the bushes and hanging an American flag from the home, Moran stepped back and admired their work. He said it was great to see companies and organizations supporting the efforts of volunteers.
Around 15 students from the Prospect Heights Service Club participated in the Paint-a-thon, according to Lyndsay MacNab, a member of the group. MacNab said they didn’t mind sacrificing part of their weekend to help out area seniors.
“Throughout the whole year we do all kinds of things in the community,” she said. “It was really rewarding and I just think it’s great to help out people.”
Students Helping Soldiers, a student group from Stevenson High School, painted the home of a woman whose husband served in the military before he passed away.
Dino Moran, a PT teacher at Stevenson and the group’s leader, is a veteran himself. He said the experience of serving seniors and soldiers is a valuable one for the students.
“They paint each other as much as they paint the house,” he said, “but they learn about giving back and they learn about how appreciative people are of their efforts.”
Moran said that this was the group’s sixth year painting the house of a veteran during the Paint-a-thon, but this was their first year being joined by a professional. John O’Keefe worked as a painter for years before leaving it a decade ago to work as a database administrator. He was referred to the group after contacting the Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago and asking how he could help.
O’Keefe said it was great to give the students a few pointers, and see how much satisfaction they gained from volunteering.
“I wish we would have done it more when I was in high school,” he said. “I guess maybe I was just too preoccupied like the typical teenager.”
After they finished painting the house, trimming the bushes and hanging an American flag from the home, Moran stepped back and admired their work. He said it was great to see companies and organizations supporting the efforts of volunteers.
