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Youths give back for Student Service Day

By Michael Erb

Special to the Times

PARKERSBURG – Hundreds of area students fanned out across Wood County Thursday to help community organizations as part of the annual United Way Student Service Day.

The United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley held Student Service Days throughout the region this week, said Interim Executive Director Stacy DeCicco.

“Last year it was just a Wood County event, but we received such an overwhelming response,” she said. This year, student service days were held Monday in Pleasants County, Tuesday in Jackson County, Wednesday in Belpre and another will be held today in Wirt County.

By the end of the week, DeCicco said, Student Service Day events will have helped more than 350 students give more than 1,800 hours of service to their communities.

In Wood County Thursday, students volunteered at area Noah’s Arc thrift shops, at the Parkersburg Boys and Girls Club, the Salvation Army, the Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley and on projects at Parkersburg City Park. Students also worked at sites in Vienna and Williamstown.

DeCicco said one group of students also had the chance to take part in the Circles Campaign poverty awareness program.

“I think that is going to be really eye opening for some of them,” she said.

Wendy Shriver of Downtown PKB led a group of students from Parkersburg South and Parkersburg Catholic high schools on a clean-up patrol in downtown Parkersburg.

Downtown PKB, a group dedicated to the re-development of downtown Parkersburg, also used the program last year through the United Way, Shriver said.

Some interesting things were found this year, including a pair of underwear and a plastic doughnut, she said. Litter is a problem in downtown Parkersburg, Shriver said.

“It’s a never-ending battle, especially in downtown Parkersburg,” she said.

Alan Gates, public works director for the City of Williamstown, said about 15 Williamstown High School students helped with clean up at the Williamstown Boat Ramp.

“Some of the kids already had the (volunteer) hours they needed, but they came and did it anyway,” he said.

Gates said the help was especially timely because the area had a lot of debris from recent flooding and officials need to get ready for the upcoming boating season.

The Student Service Day “gives us a jump start on getting the boat ramp ready,” he said.

DeCicco said the United Way this year had more student interest than available projects. Pleasants County Schools has already requested another service day, and officials will look at expanding the event into both spring and fall service weeks in the future. Ritchie County Schools plans to announce a school-wide day of service for May, she said.

DeCicco said area youths are showing what a positive force they can be when offered the opportunity to give back to their communities.

“At a time where you can feel really dismal about things, these kids have really impressed people,” she said.

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