River View senior class lends a helping hand
Volunteers: Seniors from River View High School pause for a picture while helping out at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank Community Mobile Market in Canal Lewisville. Pictured from left are: Dusty Erwin, Cassidy Thornsley, Allison Cramer, Bradley Conkling, Brittany Chaney and Shayne Foster. Beacon photo by Josie Sellers
CANAL LEWISVILLE – River View High School’s seniors are required to volunteer at least once at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank Community Mobile Market in Canal Lewisville, but some have come back a second and even third time.
“I like being able to help people and it’s nice to talk to everybody,” said Taylor Ireland, one of the student volunteers
The seniors at RVHS started volunteering at the monthly market in January and this was Ireland’s second time there and Shayne Foster’s third.
“I like helping the community out,” Foster said. “I also work at a nursing home and just like helping people who need help.”
RVHS Principal Chuck Rinkes said this is the first time the seniors have done a big, class wide volunteer project like this.
“I go to Canal Lewisville Church (which sponsors the mobile food market) and my family helped with the market this summer,” he said. “I was looking for a community service project for the senior class so we decided to take kids here each month to help. We saw there was a need in the community and our congregation is getting older and could use the help.”
The students hand out items and carry boxes and bags back to customers’ vehicles.
“Our kids really like to help people,” Rinkes said. “We have very good kids and it warms my heart to know they have the opportunity to get out and do this.”
He also is proud that River View is able to give its students experiences to go along with the skills they are learning in school.
“We want them to know what real life is going to be like after they graduate from high school,” Rinkes said. “You can make good or bad decisions. Help people or turn a blind eye. It’s all about choices.”
He also hopes that wherever life takes them, if they know there is something like a food bank or mobile market that needs volunteers they will lend a helping hand.
“We want them to be community minded,” Rinkes said.
The experience has definitely opened Foster’s eyes.
“I didn’t know there were this many people that needed help with food and carrying things,” he said. “I think it’s important that all the seniors are exposed to this and for them to know that there are people in need.”
This is the second year that Canal Lewisville United Methodist Church has hosted the market and Michelle Darner, who helps organize it, is happy for the help from River View.
“The volunteers from our church are so appreciative of the seniors from River View,” she said. “They are so helpful and are part of our volunteer base now. I encouraged them all to come back when school is over and help in the summer. I just love these kids.”
The Mid-Ohio Food Bank Community Mobile Market is held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. the first Wednesday of the month at Canal Lewisville United Methodist Church during the warmer months and at Three Rivers Fire Station in the winter months.
“I also can’t say enough about the Mid-Ohio Food Bank,” Darner said. “They bring quality food and whatever is left over the Upper Room Assembly & Worship Center comes and gets to pass out at their market. Mid-Ohio is so good to us and makes this market unbelievable.”
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Education
