Students at Oakland Christian School in Independence Township spent the day, Oct. 4, filling backpacks for orphans in Haiti and Children of Israel Orphanage, collecting food for Lighthouse of Oakland County, gathering supplies for Grace Center for Hope and other projects during Serve 2013.
Their community service is just beginning, said Michelle Golus, early education director for Oakland Christian School, Clarkston Campus, 6300 Clarkston Road.
“It’s the first of many, all throughout the school year,” Golus said. “We really wanted an ongoing feeling of service rather than one day a year.”
The preschool, early 5, and Kindergarten students will work on projects every couple of months or whenever there’s a need, she said.
It will also be incorporated into the curriculum.
“We’ll talk about Grace Center throughout the school year,” she said. “We Facebook with them, create a relationship with them. Relationships are so important.”
The yearlong effort will help the students take ownership of community service as they make it a part of their daily lives, she said.
“They learn they’re big enough to make a difference,” she said.
? Phil Custodio