Westminster Students Set to Make an Impact During “Service Day”

Westminster will be holding a Service Day Oct. 5 in which all 392 students will assist several local organizations and charities. With the aide of 55 faculty members, students will travel throughout Connecticut and Simsbury, making a positive impact on the community. Service Day is an all-day event, with no classes scheduled for the day.

The intent for this day is to further strengthen the school’s ties with the Town of Simsbury and its Connecticut neighbors. Service learning will give Westminster students the opportunity to be “ambassadors of excellence,” displaying grace with a hefty serving of grit. Service Day will be the first initiative to reach out to the surrounding community.

The charities and organizations at which students and faculty will volunteer include the following:

Camp Chase YMCA: Camp Chase describes its mission as “an association open to all and committed to helping people develop their potential in spirit, mind and body.” Camp chase is located in Hartford and reaches out to poor and underprivileged youth in the area and provides after-school programs and assistance. Third Formers will be traveling to Camp Chase to assist in the youth programs.

Camp Horizons: Camp Horizons describes its mission as “to provide support for people who are developmentally disabled or who have other challenging social and emotional needs.” Camp Horizons provides an annual summer camp for developmentally disabled children. Fourth Formers will be assisting the Camp Horizons staff in cleaning up the grounds and refurbishing the equipment.

Camp Hole in the Wall: Located in Ashford, Camp Hole in the Wall was founded by actor Paul Newman as a camp that “provides children with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions a camping experience of the highest quality.” Fifth Formers will be assisting the staff of Camp Hole in the Wall with activities around the grounds.

American School for the Deaf: The American School for the Deaf, located in West Hartford, is a school dedicated to providing high-quality education to the deaf and hard of hearing. Fifth Formers will be assisting the faculty of the school.

Reggio Magnet School: The Reggio Magnet School is a school located in Avon that provides preschool through kindergarten for local children. Fifth Formers will be traveling to the school to assist with activities for the children.

Hartford Foodshare: Foodshare is an organization that attempts to alleviate poverty-induced hunger in destitute areas. Sixth Formers will be traveling to the Hartford branch to assist the volunteers working there.

Simsbury Social Services: The Social Services Department of the Town of Simsbury provides assistance for residents with social, emotional and economic needs of every kind. Sixth Formers will be assisting the staff, working specifically with several of the service’s clients.

Simsbury Parks & Recreation: The Department of Parks & Recreation maintains the many parks and trails located in the Town of Simsbury. Sixth Formers will be assisting the staff with park maintenance and cleanup.

Simsbury Public Works: The Department of Public Works maintains municipal facilities throughout the town. Sixth Formers will travel to the Office of the First Selectman at the Simsbury Town Hall, where they will be briefed on their day’s work, including painting local public facilities.

Eno Hall Senior Center: The Eno Hall Senior Center, located on Hopmeadow Street, describes its mission as “to provide a community focal point where older adults come together for programs that reflect their experience, enhance their dignity, support their independence, and encourage their involvement with their community.” Sixth Formers will be traveling to Eno Hall to assist the staff, interact with patrons and provide entertainment.

Simsbury Board of Education: The Simsbury Board of Education is in charge of local schools — lower, middle and high—throughout the town. Sixth Formers will walk to the Board’s headquarters located at the Simsbury Town Hall to assist the staff.

Roaring Brook Nature Center: The Roaring Brook Nature Center is an organization dedicated to preserving local trails and spreading knowledge about the natural world. Located in Canton, Sixth Formers will be traveling to the center to aide in the ongoing “eco-projects” that are being undertaken.