Community Service at Saturday College

Bridges to a Brighter Future students exhibit a passion for community service that explains why "their potential outdistances their circumstances".

Photo Courtesy of Anabella Soto, Tobi Swartz and Miracle Hill Ministries

The Afternoon Activity portion of Saturday College is always highly awaited by its participants. According to Casey Crisp, Assistant Director of Bridges to a Brighter Future, " One of the best parts of planning Saturday College is picking what this activity will be. These can be anything from a Furman football game, a trip to the movies or community service. For many of our students, that trip to the movies is the first they’ve taken in their lives.”

During my visit to Saturday College, it was pleasantly surprising to see that even though the students love football games and movies like any other teenagers, they still consider community service their favorite afternoon activity.

This same day, when the lunch portion of Saturday College concluded, the students left Furman Hall and cheerfully headed to the parking area in spite of the cold, icy drizzle. Among chants of “Yay! Community Service!” they piled into vans driven by counselors and headed to Miracle Hill Thrift Shop near Traveler’s Rest, to spend an afternoon sorting through donations, cleaning and helping out in any way needed.

Sophomore Kelsey Roloson from Greer High School understands the importance of giving back. “We’re helping out a community that in turn helps us. Our lives may not be awesome all the time, but there are always people who are worse off, and we need to be aware of that.”

According to the students, “time went by too fast” and some even took advantage of the occasion to make a few purchases for upcoming school events.

In the words of Senior Desireé LaFreniere, “ Rearranging clothes might not seem like a great help to the community. But we know that Miracle Hill helps families that have problems just like our own, so if we can help even one person have a better day, then that makes it worth the effort.”

These students are truly inspiring in the way they put others before themselves, even if their lives have been affected by economic and emotional troubles. With positive attitudes like theirs, there is no doubt that they are on the right track to reaching the potential they were not aware they had.

Don't forget to keep checking our blogs! If you have any comments or ideas for future community service projects, leave a comment below!