The 5th annual Fort Serves Day took place on April 4. Students had the opportunity to serve at nine different sites where they could sort and package hygiene products for local agencies, help at elementary schools, organize, hang clothes, deep clean, and sort baby clothing as well as clean up playgrounds, pack food bags, Englewood outdoor beautification, sort and package food at Harvesters, help organize at the district clothes closet. The last two sites were painting a mural at the Kansa City Zoo but only per-registered students went and only advanced photo tech students took photos of Early Childhood Center graduates.

The Student Council organized the event and has created good resources over the years and works every year to grow the opportunities to serve for this day. They reach out to local places where they think they could use some volunteer help. Because it’s an annual event, finding resources has become easier. Senior Lohany Galeas Marquez hopes this day can boost our community’s and student’s morale.

“We’re definitely trying to get students to know it’s OK to be involved and just help them know that the school is a safe place and that a school day dedicated to it is for a good purpose,” Galeas Marques said. 

Fort Serves is a safe and controlled day to help inspire and teach students to get out and help their community. Students and adult leaders help make the environments fun and exciting so they can see what giving back to the community truly does. It helps show the students that doing a simple deed can cause big ripples in people’s life. Freshman Alina Wackerman enjoyed connecting with kids and watching people grow closer. 

“I think everyone got to go to the place they wanted to go and everyone seemed happy and even if they weren’t they ended up enjoying it by the end of the day,” Wackerman said.

This day is meant to inspire the youth to get serious and help them understand that they can make a difference according to Student Council Vice President Lohany. Sophomore Jazzmarie Ballard loves to give back to the community and she saw Fort Serves as the perfect place to start.

“I just love giving back to the community and I feel like it’s a good opportunity for little kids to see what it’s like in high school,” Ballard said.

Stuco’s job is to help students feel heard and comfortable in the school and community. Galeas Marquez hopes the students will feel inspired to go out and do more good after they serve.

“Main goal is to boost the culture and morale of the school in general,” Galeas Marquez said. 

250 people participated in Fort Serves. Of those 234 were students. 23 students went to the KC Zoo accompanied by two staff, seven students and two staff members went to Baby Grace, seven students, and one staff member went to Englewood Beautification, five students and one staff member went to WiNC, 24 students and two staff members went to Giving the Basics, 35 students and three staff members went to harvesters, eight students and one staff member went to Susquehanna Baptist Food Pantry, seven students and one staff member went to Fire Prairie Upper Elementary Clothes Closet, 89 students and one staff member went to help students in the elementary schools, 11 students went to the early childhood center cap and gown pictures, and 18 students and 10 staff members wet to the Life Skill Campus Beautification.