For freshman day of service, freshman students volunteered at Ability KC, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired, Della Lamb Community Services, Great Plains SPCA, Growing Future Early Education Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, the Kansas City Hospice House and Uplift Wednesday, Oct. 16. 

To decide where students volunteered, the freshmen answered a survey. Through the survey results, the school matched students to go to certain organizations that aligned with their interests.

“We had them fill out a service questionnaire,” religion teacher Jessica Hull said, “We tried to match them up with an organization that they would want to go back to for future service hours.”

It proved to be a success in the eyes of freshmen Ella Abiecunas and Paige Castello. The girls followed their passion for animals when they volunteered at Great Plains SPCA, a pet adoption center. 

“We got to hang out with the animals and played with this little puppy,” Abiecunas said. “Then, we played with a bunch of baby kittens.”

At Great Plains, their dedication to animals in the community goes deeper than the shelter itself. They realize that while there are food pantries for families, there also needs to be pantries for pets and families who can’t afford the expenses of pet food. During Abicunas and Castello’s time volunteering, they aided the staff in the pet food pantry.

“ It was cool,” Castello said. “We had to combine all the cat food into one tub and then put them in bags for people. Then they had 10 pounds for dogs that we combined.”

Meanwhile, freshman Kendall Torres visited St. Luke’s Hospital and the Kansas City Hospice House. Her group viewed St. Luke’s presentation on how to volunteer and gathered for a tour. Coming from three generations of nurses, Torres said she will be back to volunteer for the Hospice House.  

“After that, we went to the Hospice House, and we baked and decorated cookies for the staff and families,” Torres said.

With a fervent passion for working with kids, freshman Shelby Beck volunteered at Growing Futures Education Center. Assigned to the three-year-old group, Beck assisted the classroom teacher handing out snacks and pushing six kids on the swings. 

“My favorite part was meeting the kids and learning their names, what they like to do for fun,” Beck said.

The service day proved to be successful, according to Abiecunas. Through the various service activities, students were introduced to the many options for service within Kansas City. 

“I loved it,” Abiecunas said.