Day of Caring

This Friday, September 27th, marks the United Way Day of Caring annual food drive. I believe this is the 21st year that the United Way has sponsored this event. Each year Vantage Career Center plays a big part in this event. Vantage not only provides the facility for the food sorting and organizing but the students and staff at Vantage also provide a lot of man power on Friday. Food barrels have been placed all around town at various businesses. On Friday, these barrels will be picked up by our Vantage students and brought to the garages at Vantage. The food will be sorted and organized by several volunteers and many of our students. The goal for this years event is 45,000 items. The food will be disbursed between the Salvation Army, Trinity Friends Church, and the Van Wert Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry.

There will also be a blood drive held on Friday at Trinity Friends Church. The goal is to collect 185 units of blood. The drive is from 8 am to 6 pm. We already have several of our students signed up to donate on Friday.

I am always so impressed with the amount of donations that our staff and students provide to this great event. I am looking forward to Friday just to see the amount of donations and to see our students working so hard on that day. If you haven't had a chance to donate and would still like to, you can bring your items in all this week. There are several signs around the building that specify which items they are in particular need of. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Font in the Health Information Management lab. This is also a reminder that we will have $1 JEANS DAY AND $1 HOMESCHOOL/VANTAGE T-SHIRTS on Wednesday this week. With the money raised that day, we will be able to present the United Way with a monetary donation.

I would like to close with a final thought from Ms. Diane Font who is spearheading this Day of Caring for Vantage. She states that "  I am passionate about this event and I am so lucky to work with all of you here at Vantage. I am always in awe of our students and staff and what we are all capable of doing for each other and our community. Many of us may have never needed a hand up from our community, but if you ever find yourself in this dark place, events like the Day of Caring make you very aware of the help available to us all. I was devastated in 2002 after a F-4 tornado took everything from my family. I was very grateful our lives were spared that day. Where do you turn when your house, vehicles, belongings and even dignity are lost in one moment? For me, it was this community. The United Way, The Red Cross and my community of once complete strangers helped me. Wow, was that a humbling experience! I hope my help on this day is somehow just my heart being thankful to this place I call home for helping me after that experience, without judgement or prejudice. Please help our students understand any of them could and may someday need help from The United Way. They could in fact already be helping someone they know that is struggling or is in need of that hand up on this Day of Caring. This is definitely a teaching moment that can really have an impact on our students lives. My heart sends a sincere thank you to every staff member here at Vantage for your help on this event every year. We have an impact, each and every one of us! It takes a village and VANTAGE stands out LOUD AND PROUD within this one!