This was not the average day at Rock Canyon.  The parking spots were filled by numerous vehicles and people were sprinkled about the campus.  It wasn’t a school day but it was Sun. Apr. 23.  People of all ages hurried about the school grounds, collecting garbage, painting curbs, landscaping, and washing windows.  

The participants of the Love in Action service project, a part of Cherry Hills Community Church’s Love in Action campaign, worked to better the school both inside and out.

The volunteer project at the school is only a part of the church’s multi-pronged approach to “Eradicate Homelessness in Douglas County” (chcc.org).  The three-week Love in Action series seeks to organize hundreds of volunteers as they give in methods spanning from car donation to homeless shelter support.

Eighty of these church members focused on beautifying the school grounds last weekend.  Many of these families included students that attend Rock Canyon.     

The Shuster family was one such example.  Mandy Shuster ‘18 volunteered to paint the curb and crosswalks of the student parking lot.

“I volunteered for Love in Action with my family because it’s a great way to give back to our community,” Shuster said.  “I’ve done it the past couple of years and it’s a very fulfilling and fun thing to do.”

For Shuster, however, the project meant more than just serving the community.  

“It’s also really cool that our church provides different sites to volunteer at, such as our own school, because it’s a place we go to almost every day for four years,” Shuster said.  “It’s cool to know you’ve helped in keeping it clean or presentable.”

Custodial Group Leader, Carolina Aguirre, shares the belief that the project was especially significant for volunteering students and their families.  

“Lots of those parents have kids in this school,” Aguirre said.  “They want to create a cleaner, safer environment for the kids.”

However, she also feels that the project holds benefits that extended beyond members of the school.   

“The beautifying of our building benefits the whole community because the school is a big focus of the community for social activities and sports,” Aguirre said.   

The group has been working for this cause since at least 2011, when Aguirre first began to work at the school.  Plans are in place for the group to continue their impact.