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By Rama K. Ramaswamy
Over the last academic year, 2016-17, Hardy Elementary School spearheaded multiple community service opportunities. Among them: Cradles to Crayons, Hardy's Turkey Trot group, UNICEF Trick or Treat, Council on Aging outreach, Winter Concert and Snow Globe Making, Children's Hospital activity books, Walk Away Homelessness, refugee boxes, Alzheimer's Center Spring Concert, and Hardy beautification planting.
This 2017-18 school year will be Hardy Community Service (CS) Committee Chair Lauren Lin’s third year on the job. "I have a great committee that is wonderful in generating ideas and running projects,” said Lin. “I do this because we live in a privileged area and are able to shelter our children from many hardships others experience, but I think it is important for our kids to know that they are lucky and have a responsibility to help out because they are able to. It also helps them develop empathy and social awareness. There was a quote that I read shortly after college that really resonated with me, and started me volunteering in Boston Cares and taking on chairing the committee. It went something like: ‘The decency of a society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members.’ I like that. During my first year, my kids always asked why we always have to do community service projects. Now, they come up with their own projects - like writing letters to soldiers overseas.”
A few of the Community Service Committee members.
“The Hardy Community Service Group supports a number of different causes throughout the year to help people in need in our community and beyond,” said another Community Service Committee member, Andrea Schneider, discussing the Alzheimer’s Concert. “For this particular event, we chose to support the Alzheimer's population living in our community less than a mile away from Hardy. There has been so much research describing the neurological benefit music has on Alzheimer’s patients, especially in regards to long term memory. The children not only had the ability to provide the residents with the gift of music, but also with the natural gift of youth and joy. We were confident that the event would have a positive impact not only on the Alzheimer's resident, but on the children as well.”
Community service events organized by Hardy School often include not only the parents and children, but teachers, too. According to Sam Gauldie, CS Committee member: "Hardy's music teacher, Mr Corcoran, ensured that this concert was a success by giving his time before school for several rehearsals and by coming and accompanying the kids on the piano while they sang. He ensured that the music tone and song choice was just right for the audience, and the committee valued his input."
This September, the spirit of community and service are in full swing, Hardy parents Nicole Meyers and Shaunna Wuczynski are running Hardy’s Hurricane Aid. “As many of you are aware,” they said, “Hurricane Harvey inflicted devastating damage in Texas, and Florida is in the midst of a catastrophic hit from Hurricane Irma this weekend. Many of the schools there and families have lost everything and face a long road ahead. We have Hardy families affected, as well, through friends and families in these states.
“Since our Hardy School community is strong and caring, we have organized a donations drive for school supplies to all the affected schools. We are asking for materials such as backpacks, lunch boxes, binders, notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, etc. Our donation drive will take place the week of September 18-22 at morning drop off. There will also be a collection box location outside of the main office. We are currently arranging free shipping to these areas thanks to local delivery services. If you have any questions, please contact Shaunna or Nicole.”
Nicole Meyers can be reached at nicolebd23@aol.com. Shaunna Wuczynski can be contacted via snagel1205@hotmail.com.
