BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Every school year, the student members of the Battle Mountain High School chapter of SkillsUSA go out of their way to provide some kind of service to their community.
Because it has been kind of a random thing over the years, those community service efforts sometimes don't always get recognized in any substantial way. They have been working to change both of those things this year.
According to Russ Wright, a SkillsUSA advisor at the high school, "Our chapter focuses on the needs of our campus and community. One of the seven areas of our program of work includes community service. In a small community like Battle Mountain, the value of volunteerism can't be overemphasized."
This year, the students joined in with the Family Resource Center to help distribute food during both Thanksgiving and Christmas Alert programs.
Of course there were a lot of other volunteers from the community involved as well. That was an eye opener for the SkillsUSA students, to see people pulling together like that. Since then, the students have realized that this kind of work should not be just a twice a year event for them.
As a part of the Easter Gifts in a Balloon fundraiser the students do every year, they found a way to again make a connection with the Family Resource Center, and provided a number of Easter Balloon Baskets to the center. Case Manager Anna Nunez was surprised by the visit, but happy to have the donations. Distribution was mostly turned over to WIC Program Manager Shelley Nalley.
Participating this way on three separate occasions led to talks with center Executive Director Jana Moyes about how SkillsUSA might be able to help the center on a more regular basis.
As a result of these talks, the SkillsUSA students have entered a Partnership Agreement with the Family Resource Center. According to Wright, "Although the student membership at the high school does change from year to year, gaining freshmen at one end, and losing our seniors when they graduate, this will provide some stability to their Program of Work each year. Some of our members' families visit relatives out of town for those holidays, so those students don't really get a chance to participate in the two big events (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Although the students will certainly continue to look for random opportunities to perform various community services, this agreement will allow us to build onto the concept that our SkillsUSA chapter is community service oriented.
"There will be an annual schedule of events from the center which will provide opportunities throughout the year for all of the student members to give back to the community. I am really excited about this partnership."
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