by Julia M. Langlois
Students from Almonte and District High School participate in We Care, a group which visits the Almonte General Hospital on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school.
The students help where they can, whether by playing cards with patients or handing out coffee and tea. They also assist in setting up decorations at holiday times such as Christmas and Easter, which adds to the atmosphere of the hospital. Not only does this give the students their community service hours to graduate, it also gives them a sense of community.
Ashton MacDonald said, “It feels great to help others and make people happy. I get to give back to the community and the hospital. We Care is all about giving back… the hospital atmosphere is comfortable and friendly, which makes you want to visit and help out again.”
We Care has been active for a few years. Having personally taken part for two years, I found the group beneficial to both high school students and the community. It was a great way to get my community service hours, since I was actively helping the community every week. A lot of the time, while we would be helping out with activities, we would get to know the patients, which was my favourite part because I felt like that’s where I made the most difference in the program.
Programs such as We Care, which get students involved in the community, are where real differences can be made. Students experience the joy of giving rather than receiving, and the seniors benefit from the opportunity to socialize with youth.
Julia Langlois is completing a journalism internship with the Millstone.
