Habitat Humanity”s Re-Store. (Flickr)

Classrooms filled with chatter and excitement on Friday, September 8, the 2017 Service Day at Academy, promised to be the “best day of the year” by the Service Board.

The day provided us with an opportunity to work with our advisees as we gave back to the community.

Some advisories got an early start to the day, heading to sites which were farther away or required longer periods of work time. 

Following the assembly, advisories headed to numerous sites ranging from the Sunrise Nursing Home to the Ronald McDonald House. My advisory left for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a short 15-minute drive from campus.

The Re-Store’s facade looked similar to a Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards store front. The ReStore houses a warehouse and sells donated home-improvement goods at discount prices, with the profits going straight towards building houses for those in need. Our task was in the warehouse. We  processed the donations sent in by truckloads from major companies such as Restoration Hardware.

The job seemed daunting as we surveyed the rows of boxes stacked upon boxes and began sorting out flooring tile squares, carpets, and lampshades. Soon, however, we found efficient ways of processing all the goods, and by the end of our time at the site, we were wishing for more time to keep working. There were now rows of unpacked goods along the wall, with stacks of carpet squares and tiles ready to line the shelves of the store up front.

In just a few hours, our advisory, along with three teacher-chaperones managed to sort through boxes of donations and process them into shelf-ready products. These donated goods for re-sale would help generate funds to build houses for those in need around the Columbus area.

The best part about Service Day isn’t missing classes or going out to eat lunch. It’s the chance students get to embody the mission of our school through community service. 

Service Day is just the beginning of a year full of opportunities to help out others, whether it involves aiding the disaster relief of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma or serving meals to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. 

The act of service shouldn’t be one out of obligation to fulfill a graduation requirement. It is one that we, as members of our Academy community must put our hearts into.