2009-2010 COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
HONOR FLIGHT SOUTH ALABAMA: St. Paul’s students and faculty members participated in the Second and Third Honor Flight South Alabama by writing over 600 letters to the WWII Veterans who participated in the program. The letters were distributed to the Veterans during “mail call” on the flight from Mobile to Washington, D.C. In addition to the letters over 300 students and faculty members welcomed home the Veterans at the Mobile Area Regional Airport. Faculty members also served as airport escorts for the Veterans upon their return from the trip.
BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE: The Service Leadership Class sponsored a back to school supply drive for families involved in the Mobile Police Department’s Family Intervention Team program. Twenty school uniforms were donated by St. Paul’s faculty and staff for families in our community who were unable to provide the required items to attend public school.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY PROJECT: St. Paul’s Episcopal School was selected as one of the 2009-10 State Farm Service Learning Partnership Grant recipients. St. Paul’s and Habitat for Humanity in Mobile County have been awarded a joint grant in the amount of $7,000. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, St. Paul’s Service Leadership Class implemented an educational service learning project that began with discussions about poverty and housing issues and ended with the dedication of a new Habitat home built entirely by students, parents, and staff of St. Paul’s Episcopal School. This project Included a class session twice a month for two Service Leadership Classes at St. Paul’s, as well as a three day framing blitz and Saturday work days at the house until it is completed. This partnership began with a kickoff on October 9 and ended with the dedication and celebration on February 26. A total of 508 students, parents, alumni, board members, faculty, and staff members volunteered to build the house for this family and it took 4,189 hours to complete the project. In addition to building the house, St. Paul’s filled every room of the home with furniture, rugs, dishes, appliances, canned goods, plasma TV and DVD player, original art work, a computer, and pots and pans. The Service Leadership Class students unloaded the 24’ moving truck and provided the family a pizza dinner to celebrate! A total of 38 families, six classes, and three clubs donated the necessary items to make the house a home.
FAMILY INTERVENTION TEAM TUTORING: The Service Leadership Class partnered with the Mobile Police Department’s Family Intervention Team to provide weekly tutoring for high school students enrolled in Leflore, Murphy, Blount, Scarborough, Baker, Davidson, Williamson, and Callaway-Smith schools, as well as the Satsuma School System. Twenty students visit St. Paul’s one day a week after school to receive tutoring in Math, Science, English, and History. St. Paul’s Service Leadership Class and The Family Intervention program conducted an eleven week tutoring program for youth who needed assistance with their academic studies. Each week students receiving tutoring were assisted with transportation to St. Paul’s Episcopal School by the Mobile Police Department’s Community Services Unit. Tutoring sessions were once a week, and lasted for an hour. In an effort to reward tutors and participants for all their hard work and dedication, a bowling and pizza party was sponsored by St Paul’s at Florida Bowl.
AUGUSTA EVANS SCOUTING PROGRAMS: The Girl Scout and Boy Scout Program were initiated by St. Paul’s seven years ago by Henry Callaway and Leslie Lerner. Augusta Evans School is a Mobile County public school for mentally and physically challenged students. St. Paul’s students provide arts and craft activities and works individually with the scouts on obtaining Boy Scout and Girl Scout badges two days a week. The Service Leadership Class of St. Paul’s Episcopal School volunteers two days a week for two hours to provide a scouting experience for the mentally and physically challenged students at Augusta Evans School. Their handicaps range from moderate to severe. On Tuesdays, students provide and organize Girl Scout activities for 48 young ladies. On Thursdays, St. Paul’s volunteers work with 55 Boy Scouts. Each volunteer is responsible for all of the activities that take place in the patrol. St. Paul’s students provide and organize weekly arts and crafts and scouting projects for the scouts. But more importantly, the Service Leadership Class shows an interest in these special students and develops a relationship with each and every scout in the patrols.
TUTORING AT PRICHARD PREPARATORY SCHOOL AND MARY B. AUSTIN SCHOOL: St. Paul’s partnered with Mary B. Austin School and Prichard Preparatory School to provide a tutoring and mentoring program one day a week. Every Service Leadership Class student is paired with an elementary student to work on math, reading, and writing skills. In addition, one day a month an arts and crafts or science experience is provided for the students. This is a great way for our students to assist others who need a little extra help in an academic area. Each week 58 elementary students are benefiting from this program!
HALLOWEEN PARTY AT AUGUSTA EVANS: Every year the students in the Service Leadership Class plan, organize, and provide a Halloween party for all of the mentally and physically challenged students at Augusta Evans. The gym was decorated as a haunted house and included face painting, tattoos, coloring sheets and markers, go fish, bean bag toss, nail polish service, and pin the nose on the pumpkin. In addition, Azalea City DJ’s Phillip Spencer, “The Step Daddy,” provided the music for a dance party all of the students enjoyed.
MIDDLE SCHOOL THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE: In the spirit of giving, the newly formed Middle School Philanthropy Ambassadors sponsored a Thanksgiving Food Drive for families in need in our community. A total of 797 cans of food was collected and assembled into 175 Thanksgiving Baskets by the Ambassadors. Fifth grade students donated stuffing mix and instant mashed potatoes, sixth grade canned yams and marshmallows, seventh grade string beans and sweet tea mix, and eighth graders cranberry sauce and canned fruit.
9th GRADE COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY: The ninth grade class and faculty members participated in a community service day working on two Habitats for Humanity homes in the Hillsdale area. Eighty-eight students painted the inside and outside of two homes and landscaped the front and back yards.
THANKSGIVING PROJECT FOR SAAD HEALTHCARE HOSPICE PROGRAM: The Service Leadership Class students made 150 pine cone turkeys to be donated to the hospice patients of Saad Healthcare. Each turkey was wrapped and a homemade Thanksgiving card was included with each goodie bag.
8th GRADE THANKSGIVING SERVICE DAY: The 8th grade class participated in a community service day at the Hillsdale Community Center for the Volunteers of America South East Adult Day Training Facility residents for the 5th Annual Buddy Day. The students worked with these mentally and physically challenged adults to assemble 210 Thanksgiving fruit bags and the students delivered 122 of the bags to residents in three assisted living facilities that included Onderdonk Cottages, Highpoint Apartments, and Rendu Terrace Senior Apartments. Arts and crafts, games, dancing and music, snowcones, popcorn, and cotton candy were enjoyed by the Adult Day Training consumers and St. Paul’s students.
8TH GRADE PHILANTHROPY AMBASSADOR’S MITTEN, SCARF, AND GLOVE DRIVE FOR HOMELESS: The 8th Grade Philanthropy Ambassadors organized a mitten, scarf, and glove drive for their class. Students collected 101 items that will be donated to 15 Place for the homeless. The Ambassadors toured 15 Place and delivered decorations for the dining room tables. They spray painted 75 pine cones and wrapped 35 shoe boxes to serve as centerpieces for the tables.
SENIOR PHILANTHROPY AMBASSADORS IRON BOWL RAFFLE: The Senior Philanthropy Ambassadors sponsored an Iron Bowl Raffle for two tickets to the Alabama/Auburn game. The students raised $1,650.00 and all proceeds will be donated to Wilmer Hall. Elizabeth Jackson was the lucky winner! Thank you to Congressman Jo and Janee Bonner for donated the tickets.
ANGEL TREE PROJECT: St. Paul’s students, faculty, staff, and parents adopted 325 angels for the holiday season. The names of the angels in need were provided by The Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Program, Mobile Police Department’s Family Intervention Team, Volunteers of America, Roger Williams Day Care Center and Roger Williams Boys & Girls Club.
CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA AT AUGUSTA EVANS: The Service Leadership Class sponsored a Christmas Extravaganza for 100 mentally and physically challenged Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at Augusta Evans School. Scouts enjoyed making Christmas ornaments, snow ball toss, candy cane walk, coloring holiday pictures, decorating frames, and a surprise visit from Santa and an elf topped off the day!
CHRISTMAS CAROLING AT COGBURN: Students in St. Paul’s Service Leadership Class sang Christmas carols to the residents of Cogburn Nursing Home on December 15. The students then enjoyed dinner and dirty Santa at Mrs. Lerner’s home.
7TH GRADE AMBASSADOR’S COOK DINNER AT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE: The 7th Grade Philanthropy Ambassadors shopped, cooked and served dinner for the residents of the Ronald McDonald House on January 21st.
SELLING GIRL SCOUT COOKIES AUGUSTA EVANS SCOUTS: Students in Service Leadership Class are the patrol leaders for the Girl Scout program at Augusta Evan’s Special School on a weekly basis. The student volunteers and the Augusta Evans Scouts sold 1,188 boxes of Girl Scout cookies this year. The total amount collected for this project was $4,158.00!
AUGUSTA EVAN’S BOY SCOUT VISITS THE DINOSAURS!: Gregory Ellis, Micah Eubanks, David Steadman, Mason Thames, Jeffrey English, Peter Gacek, Wil Lester, Nathan Lucas, John Moore, Leslie Lerner, and Henry Callaway organized and chaperoned a trip the see the dinosaurs at the Exploreum for 60 Augusta Evans’ Boy Scouts. Everyone enjoyed the exhibit in addition to the My Body Works area.
BAKE SALE FOR HAITI – 7TH GRADE AMBASSADOR’S: The 7th Grade Philanthropy Ambassador’s organized a bake sale to raise money for Haiti. The students raised $331.29 to help the children in Haiti.
HONOR FLIGHT SWEET HEART PROJECT: Students participated in the Honor Flight South Alabama Operation Sweet Heart project to honor the WWII veterans who were on the first two flights to Washington, D.C. Students made 187 personalized handmade cards that will be sent to the veterans to say “hello” and “thank you” for their service to our country.
VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY AT ATRIA: Students organized a Valentine’s Day Party for the residents at Atria on February 8th. Residents enjoyed music, cookies, and had the opportunity to create a Valentine’s wreath with special decorations. The volunteers also delivered a homemade Valentine’s card to every resident.
MOBILE AREA RETARDED CITIZENS (MARC) MARDI GRAS PARADE: The band and middle school students volunteered for the MARC Mardi Gras Parade. Students were responsible for decorating the floats, blowing up balloons, and assisting the mentally and physically challenged clients along the parade route. This was our sixth year to participate in this exciting parade.
MARDI GRAS PARTY FOR MULHERIN HOME RESIDENTS: Service Leadership Class students visited the residents of Mulherin Place on February 11th. The volunteers brought Mardi Gras masks, refreshments, arts and crafts, and music to share the Mardi Gras spirit with the folks who live in this wonderful place.
READ ACROSS AMERICA PROJECT: Students volunteered to participate in the Read Across America Program on March 2. Fifty-eight students read two books to students in 32 classrooms at Augusta Evans School and Mary B. Austin Elementary School.
HONOR FLIGHT CARDS FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Students and faculty members made over 300 homemade cards that were sent to the veterans who have participated in the past two Honor Flight trips to Washington D.C.
EASTER CARDS FOR SAAD’S HOSPICE PROGRAM: 8TH Grade Philanthropy Ambassadors made 90 homemade Easter cards that were distributed to Saad’s Healthcare hospice patients. Reverend Dieter Paulson, Hospice Chaplain, delivered the cards to the patients.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH SHOWING OF “JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”: Students from Prichard Preparatory School, Mary B. Austin Elementary School, Augusta Evans School, and senior citizens from Providence Senior Center enjoyed a free “sneak” preview showing of St. Paul’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Over 450 people enjoyed the wonderful dancing, singing, and acting by the St. Paul’s cast members. This is the third year St. Paul’s theatre department has sponsored this community outreach spring show.
EASTER CARDS FOR SPRINGHILL MANOR NURSING HOME: Springhill Manor Nursing Home residents received a special treat from the 6th Grade Philanthropy Ambassadors. The Ambassadors made and delivered over 50 homemade Easter cards to the residents. The students enjoyed visiting with each resident and brightening their day with the beautiful cards.
“SAINT’S IN SERVICE“SPRING BREAK TRIP TO GUATEMALA: St. Paul’s “Saints in Service” participants traveled to Guatemala during spring break. This was an opportunity for students to perform meaningful service work combined with educational and personal development activities to make up an intense life-changing experience. This was our first year to offer our students an opportunity to participate in community service during spring break through immersion in the community and environment where they serve. Students visited Casa Para Nino’s Aleluya which is a children’s home located in the mountains of southwestern Guatemala. Casa Para Nino’s Aleluya cares for and raises 416 orphaned, abused, and mistreated children. The focus of the trip was service and volunteers completed a service project at the children’s home. Afternoons and evenings were spent with the children playing board games, soccer, and doing arts and crafts.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS: The Senior Class and 7th Grade Philanthropy Ambassadors volunteered for the Special Olympic Games on Friday, March 26. All senior students were paired with an Augusta Evans and Blount High School athlete for the day and the 7th Grade Ambassadors were in charge of the fun zone. St. Paul’s provided a total of 139 student volunteers for this event!
EASTER EGG HUNTS AT AUGUSTA EVANS & PRICHARD PREP: Over 100 Augusta Evans’ Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts enjoyed an Easter egg hunt organized by the service leadership classes. The party included popcorn, drinks, an arts and crafts project and a surprise visit from the Easter bunny! Parties were also organized for Prichard Preparatory School. All of the students received an Easter basket filled with goodies and the girls wore Easter bonnets made by the Service Leadership Class. Over 600 Easter eggs were filled with treats for the Augusta Evans and Prichard Preparatory School students.
PROM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AT PROVIDENCE SENIOR CENTER: Students organized a prom for 25 senior citizens at the Providence Senior Center. This affair included a red carpet walk and a St. Paul’s student escort for the senior citizens, Pam Corley at Rave Reviews donated Mardi Gras dresses for the ladies, Azalea City DJ Lonn Spencer provided the music, and refreshments were provided by Sheri Weber. Everyone received a photograph with a St. Paul’s student escort and Jimmy Messer, Leslie Lerner and Lyn Franklin served as chaperones. A king and queen were crowned and the following students participated in this event.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’S RELAY FOR LIFE: The Service Leadership Class organized St. Paul’s Relay for Life Team for the American Cancer Society’s event. A total of 382 students, parents, and faculty members walked, 404 people made donations and $3,500.00 was raised for cancer research. Treadwell Davis and the band kicked off the relay and Kathy Walker and the cheerleaders filed in behind the band. St. Paul’s theme was “Saint’s Marching for a Cure” and the relay was in honor of faculty members Linda Bowman, Linda Garver, Kelli Hillier, Dottie McGehee, Sue Pond, Wanda Sigler, Nancy Strachan, Anne Thurston, Mike Marshall and in memory of Mary Anne Dukes and Raye Mueller. Margeaux Silverstein, a senior, was also honored and presented with a $1,000 scholarship check from the American Cancer Society. The Service Leadership Class students baked 1,392 baked goods and were in charge of the sale and the volunteer sign in and out table. It was a great night to be a Saint!
MARY B. AUSTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPRING FLING: National Junior High Honor Society members volunteered for Mary B. Austin Elementary School Annual Spring Fling. The students worked booths that included the school store, basketball, food, drinks, jumping activities, duck pond, football toss, tattoos, and go fishing. This is the fifth year that St. Paul’s has provided volunteers for this fun event.
2009-2010 FUNDS RAISED AND DONATED:
McKemie Place - $500
Alabama SPCA – $800
15th Place - $500
Wilmer Hall - $1,650
Camp Rap-A-Hope - $632
Volunteers of America Bowling Team - $500
Haiti - $2,284
Regional School of Deaf and Blind - $1,200
Relay for Life Project - $3,500
Mattie West - $1,034
TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED AND DONATED: $12,600.00
SERVICE HOURS PER GRADE
9TH GRADE – 2,189
10TH GRADE – 3,702
11TH GRADE – 4,245.5
12TH GRADE – 4,948.5
TOTAL HOURS: 15,085 HOURS