After honoring its standout students for community service at the end of last year, the Old Rochester Regional Community Service Learning Club jumped right in again this year with a variety of projects. 

In June 2019, the club honored students who earned the “President’s Volunteer Service Award”.  Thirty-one students volunteered for a total of 4,352 hours between March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2019. This award, given at the national level, is based on the age of the student and the number of hours that they volunteered. 

The 2019-20 school year began with over 50 members joining the club, learning about volunteer opportunities and sharing ideas for group projects to explore during the year.  The club meets once a week after school.  

Under the leadership of sophomores Sally Butler and Maggie Brogioli, the club collected 130 pairs of socks for its “SOCKTOBER” event in October.  The socks were donated to The Women’s Center in New Bedford. As October came to a close, sophomore student leaders Maria Psichopaidas and Cameran Weaver collected Halloween candy for troops abroad.  They brought a full bin to to The Dawson Real Estate Office in Mattapoisett for distribution. Next year they hope to raise money and send the candy from our school directly.

Juniors Jordan Duarte and Jo Dumas, interns at Gifts to Give in Acushnet, also organize club visits for one Saturday each month. In November, students sorted comics and on other Saturdays they clean and organize toys, clothing, and books for local children in need.  

Student leader Jill Langlois, a junior, organized our first visit to the Happy Hope Factory in Bourne in November, where students packaged gift bags for children who are hospitalized.  Students volunteered there again on Jan. 20, for the “Martin Luther King Day of Giving” event.

In December, Psichopaidas and Weaver organized a Toys for Tots collection with the special “Stuff a Cruiser” event held Friday, Dec. 13th.  They stuffed two cruisers with toys for local children.

For the first half day of school at the high school (Feb. 5th), students volunteered for the afternoon with the Sippican Land Trust, clearing brush on a trail connected to the high school.  They also plan on volunteering with the Mattapoisett Land Trust on the next half day in March.

Club members and co-advisors Karen Browning and Andrea Moniz will continue with on-going projects such as tutoring at the Junior High School and planning a beach clean up in the spring.

Students that earned President’s Volunteer Service Awards include: 

Teens: ages 11-15
BRONZE (50 - 74 hours): Desmond Sinnott, Autumn Tilly
SILVER (75 - 99 hours): Joseph Dumas, Emilia Pinhancos
GOLD (100 or more hours): Abigail Forcier, Eddie Gonet, John Kassabian, Paige Long, Payton Lord, Victoria Perry (458 hours), Daphne Poirier, Julia Sheridan 

Young Adults: ages 16-25
BRONZE (100-175 hours): Brielle Correia, Carly Drew, Emily Humphrey, Ryu Huynh-Aoyama, Kaitlin Kelly, Alexa McLeod, Elise Mello, Christian Noble-Shriver
SILVER (175-249 hours): Sara Campopiano, Emily Kirkham, Colin Mackin, Aidan Ridings, Claire Noble-Shriver, Geneva Smith
GOLD (250 or more hours): Bethany Cabral (395 hours) Brianna Lynch (304 hours), Rachel Perry (742 hours), Mia Quinlan (332 hours), William Stark (251 hours)