Community Pride: Catholic school students volunteer with DLH, beautify business district for fall
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School recently volunteered to help beautify Main Street by placing mums in planters in conjunction with Downtown Lock Haven, Inc.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School and members of the PTO make their way down Fallon Alley with mums purchased by Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. The mums were part of a fundraiser for the school and its students volunteered to help place the mums in planters along Main Street on Thursday.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School are seen placing a mum above meters along Main Street in downtown Lock Haven on Thursday evening.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School are seen placing a mum above meters along Main Street in downtown Lock Haven on Thursday evening.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School recently volunteered to help beautify Main Street by placing mums in planters in conjunction with Downtown Lock Haven, Inc.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School and members of the PTO make their way down Fallon Alley with mums purchased by Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. The mums were part of a fundraiser for the school and its students volunteered to help place the mums in planters along Main Street on Thursday.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School are seen placing a mum above meters along Main Street in downtown Lock Haven on Thursday evening.
PHOTO PROVIDED Students from Lock Haven Catholic School are seen placing a mum above meters along Main Street in downtown Lock Haven on Thursday evening.
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LOCK HAVEN -- The changing of the seasons brought a new splash of color to downtown Lock Haven Thursday evening, as students from Lock Haven Catholic School joined Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. in replacing the summer potted flowers with 50 mums along East Main Street.
The project brought together students, members of the school's Parent Teacher Organization, school administrators and local business owners for an evening of community service.
For the students, however, the work was about more than changing the flowers in the downtown planters.
It was an opportunity to put their community service requirement into practice while helping improve an area of the city they see every day.
The mums were purchased by DLH in support of a fundraiser for the school in collaboration with Mackeyville Greenhouse.
The project originated with a conversation between a Lock Haven Catholic School PTO member and Rick Schulze, manager of Downtown Lock Haven.
The parent initially contacted Schulze about purchasing mums for the school's fall fundraiser, a project DLH has supported for years.
Once the purchase was arranged, the parent began considering the logistics of getting the flowers and planters handled.
That's when the school's community service program came into the picture.
Middle school students at Lock Haven Catholic School are required to complete a minimum of five hours of community service each quarter. The requirement is intended to encourage students to become involved in their communities and develop a commitment to service.
On Thursday evening, students gathered downtown to begin removing the summer planters.
Working in groups, they cleared the existing flowers and placed the new mums.
Lock Haven Catholic School Principal Sarah Hanson said the school's emphasis on community service has increasingly become part of the school's culture.
Hanson said the idea of service has become "contagious" among the students, who have shown an increasing willingness to participate in projects outside their normal routines, sharing how some students go above the minimum.
The downtown project was another opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zones while working with classmates and members of the community, and the students brought more than their willingness to work.
They also brought plenty of school spirit -- and a homemade sign that quickly became one of the memorable touches of the evening.
Their enthusiasm was evident as they moved from planter to planter, removing the remnants of summer and replacing them with the bright colors of fall.
For the adults involved, it was a reminder that young people are often eager to contribute when they are given a meaningful opportunity to do so.
The students weren't simply being told to perform community service.
They were being invited to become part of something.
They could see the people who would benefit from their work. They could see the changes they were making. And they could experience the satisfaction that comes from completing a job together.
Their enthusiasm and willingness to help were noted by DLH volunteers, who praised the students and thanked the PTO and school administration for organizing the effort.
Hanson and the PTO are hopeful that this project may also lead to additional opportunities for Lock Haven Catholic School students to work with DLH.
For the school, the projects provide students with practical experience in service and civic involvement. For DLH, student participation offers another way to engage younger members of the community in efforts to maintain and improve the downtown.
The Thursday evening project also demonstrated how several relatively small contributions can combine to complete a larger task.
The students and PTO members weren't the only ones who stepped up.
Nicholas Hawrylchak, owner of Broken Axe Brew House, also volunteered to help DLH remove the summer flowers and prepare for the installation of the mums.
Hawrylchak loaded his truck bed with the removed plants and pots, transported them to the Piper Building and unloaded everything, where the materials will remain for the season.
His contribution may have happened largely behind the scenes, but it played an important role in making the transition possible.
DLH expressed its appreciation to Hawrylchak for volunteering his time and resources.
His involvement also highlighted another important part of the project: community service isn't limited to students.
Local businesses and community members play an equally important role in helping Lock Haven remain vibrant.
The colorful mums now lining East Main Street may be the most visible result of Thursday's effort, but the more lasting impact may be found in the students who planted them.
They learned that communities don't improve themselves.
People improve them.
They learned that service can happen outside a classroom and that making a difference can be as simple as giving a few hours of your time.
Most importantly, they experienced what happens when a group of people -- students, parents, school leaders, businesses and community organizations -- decide to work toward the same goal.
For Lock Haven Catholic School, the evening was another step toward making service a part of the students' everyday lives.
And for downtown Lock Haven, it left behind something everyone can enjoy: 50 bright reminders that fall has arrived.
What began with a question about how to get a job done in one day became something considerably more meaningful.
It became an evening of service, friendship, teamwork and community pride -- proof that sometimes the smallest acts of giving back can have the biggest impact.