Day of Caring, May 13

     For a second year in a row, Monticello schools, students, and staff, as well as city officials, leaders, and volunteers are participating in Day of Caring.

   Day of Caring (DOC) started several years ago through the Jones County Volunteer Center, led by Amy Keltner. It’s a day where members of the community volunteer their time to clean and spruce up various parts of town such as parks, downtowns, and highly visible areas.

   Last year, Keltner, working with Monticello Parks and Recreation and the Hometown Pride committee, was able to secure the help of the Monticello High School Student Council and National Honor Society groups.

   This year, the entire MHS will take part on Friday, May 13 from noon to 3 p.m. This is close to 320 students. In addition, 33 students in grades third through fifth from Sacred Heart will also be lending a hand.

   Deb Bowman, who sits on the Hometown Pride committee and works with MHS, was contacted by Keltner seeking help in securing volunteers for this year’s DOC. (Keltner has since stepped down from the Volunteer Center position.)

   “I told her of course I could do that; I know the right people to contact,” offered Bowman.

   After Bowman worked with the two MHS groups last year, she approached Principal Nick Schauf who was all for the entire school taking part this year.

   “Mr. Schauf jumped right at it,” said Bowman. “It was right up his alley.”

   From about 2008-11, Bowman helped to organize a school-wide event known as ROC (Restore Our Community) Day. Just like DOC, ROC Day brought out the entire school district as they beautified Monticello.

   “I really liked ROC because we had every kid out, but it was hard to manage,” offered Bowman.

   Suffice to say, she is happy to see DOC expand in this fashion.

   “I like it!” she praised. “These kids like to be outside and want to work.”

   “It allows these kids to have ownership in their community,” noted Parks and Rec Director Jacob Oswald. “It’s a kick-start for us when we begin our spring cleaning.”

   Bowman and Oswald are still working with the NHS and Student Council in planning DOC and figuring out the logistics.

   “The student council has taken this and run with it,” observed Oswald of the work being done behind the scenes. “They’re the backbone of the organizational side.”

   “Sully (Flynn, student council president) really took this on,” praised Bowman of Flynn’s leadership. “The students brainstormed some ideas of where they wanted to go, thinking about the details. I have been really impressed with them.”

   “We had the mindset to get everyone involved this year,” offered Flynn. “Then it turned into ‘how many places could we go to and help with so that everyone has a job?’”

   After putting a list together of places in town that might need some attention, the students ran their ideas by Oswald and Public Works Director Nick Kahler.

   “The kids wanted to know what they (Oswald and Kahler) thought needed to be done at each site,” explained Bowman.

   For instance, it was Kahler’s idea to have 50 or so students walk over to Oakwood Cemetery, across from MHS, and scrub the grime off of gravestones. The city will provide the kids with brushes and cleaning solution to use that is safe on stones.

   “The city is good to work with us and will have an employee or volunteer at almost every site,” said Bowman.

   Dennis Dirks and Mike Wink with the MCSD are also assisting in busing various groups of kids to each location that is not within walking distance.

   Between the high school and Sacred Heart, students will be at 12 locations throughout the community on May 13:

   • Camp Courageous

   • Oakwood Cemetery

   • Monticello Nursing and Rehab Campus

   • Kirkwood and the park-and-ride shelter

   • High school grounds

   • Jaycee/Kleinow fields

   • Fairgrounds

   • Jacobs Park

   • Riverside Gardens

   • Pocket park and public library

   • Aquatic Center and Fountain Park

   • Baty Disc Golf Course

   Oswald said if the city doesn’t present itself to the public with clean parks and recreation areas, the public won’t return.

   There is also a small group of students assisting private home owners/senior citizens with their yards as well.

   “We wanted to go to every church and clean the yards but we would need a lot more people to do that,” said Flynn.

   Thirty to 35 trees will also be planted at several city sites as well.

   Flynn said at each site there will either be a student council member or school staff member present to provide leadership to the students.

   “This is absolutely an awesome thing,” Oswald said of how DOC has expanded in just a year. “We need to keep up the momentum and get the community involved, too.”

   Sacred Heart Principal Susan Hucker said community service is an important aspect of the school’s mission.

   “We’ve incorporated service learning and projects at each grade level,” she said. “We work to instill in our students a desire to help others.”

   Sacred Heart will help to clean at Riverside Gardens. They will also visit a few of their neighbors and parishioners and assist with yard work.

   “DOC is a great way to coordinate the efforts of many service groups and we to continue to be a part of that,” offered Hucker.

   Everyone involved in DOC also urges the entire community to spend some time on May 13 getting outside and cleaning up as well, making this a communitywide effort.

   “Do good because good is good to do,” quoted Bowman. “Kids need to see others doing that as well.”

   Fareway, Dollar Fresh, and the Jones County Dairy Producers are also contributing ice cream and water for the afternoon.

   At 3 p.m., the entire high school, city leaders/employees, school officials/leaders, and volunteers are asked to meet at the school for a giant group photo.