Vantage students help at Day of Caring

Vantage Career Center information

More than 75 Vantage students participated in the 15th annual Van Wert County United Way Day of Caring on Friday, September 27.  Vantage is proud to have been part of such a successful day.

The senior Medical Office Management students and their teacher, Paula VanTilburg, led the school’s food drive “challenge” held on Student Appreciation Day.

Students who donated canned goods were entered into a drawing to receive a gas card, and the program with the most items donated earned the chance to throw a pie at new attendance officer Darrell Miller.  Over 1,500 items were donated in one morning, and Industrial Mechanics won the honors of throwing the pie. An additional $800 was donated and used to purchase groceries. Vantage students and staff were able to contribute over 3,000 non-perishable food items to the Salvation Army this year.

Providing some much-needed muscle to load and unload the donated food on and off the collection trucks were students from the Vantage Building and Grounds program and their teacher, Larry Mengerink.

Vantage Student Ambassadors, along with teacher aide Nancy Keith and American Studies teacher Tony Unverferth, worked at The Salvation Army Food Drive helping to unload, sort, count, box and store donated food items from around the county.

Reesa Rohrs and her senior Health Careers students volunteered their expertise at the bloodmobile held at Trinity Friends Church Family Life Center. Using what they’ve learned from class and their practical experience, they performed duties on the bloodmobile floor and in the kitchen and canteen to assist the American Red Cross and insure that things went as smoothly as possible.

Although Robin Burns and the Culinary Arts class stayed at school, they participated in the day’s activities by preparing delicious chicken noodle soup (with homemade noodles) and potato soup for the Red Cross workers and the volunteers at the bloodmobile.

Community service projects provide a real opportunity for students to learn how to work well with others.  Being able to give help without expecting anything back in return is an important lesson in life.  “Thank You” to all Vantage students and staff who donated food, time, finances or blood to help make this special day a success in Van Wert County.