On Friday, October 11, Mile High Academy participated in one of its favorite events of the year – Service Day. A huge thank you to organizer, Upper School Teacher and Chaplain Rebecca Berg and for Centura Health for sponsoring another special event, where the Mile High Academy students have an opportunity to make a difference in the local community.

This year students received a custom-designed, navy blue Service Day t-shirt, designed by MHA Senior CeCe Manning. Encouraging students to “Keep Calm and Service On,” the shirt design included the world held between two hands. The back of the shirt featured the Centura Health logo and the service-encouraging verse, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).”

All groups met in the gym for Chapel, where students were encouraged to go out into the community and to “Keep Calm and Service on.” The groups were then given last minute instruction and divided up to provide service for the following organizations:

UPPER SCHOOL

Porter Place Visit

Students started the day making cards and wrapping flowers. They later went to Porter Place, handing out the gifts and spending time with the residents.

Food Bank of the Rockies

Another group of students organized and packed meals for the Food Bank of the Rockies distribution. The team organized more than 345 boxes, 10,350lbs of food and 8,626 meals.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Meals on Wheels

Students went to two different King Soopers locations, asking for food donations. Once they collected their goods, they went to Meals on Wheels to help unpack and sort.

Zuma Rescue Ranch

Zuma Rescue Ranch is a new location this year. An equine education center, students helped clean stalls and learned general care for several rescue horses as well as other farm animals.

Sweet Dreams in a Bag

Middle School  plus 5th Grade

Students worked together to organize bedding packages. These packages will later be distributed to children in the Foster Care system.

LOWER SCHOOL

Project Angel Heart

Preschool – 4th Grade:

The Lower School students remained on campus and decorated bags for Project Angel Heart, an organization that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses. They also wrote cards for our local church pastors.

“When we go out of our way to serve others, we are practicing the very thing Jesus did every day for us. In a way, it brings us closer to the heart of Jesus and who He really is,” said Berg. “When we take time out of our school calendar to make service a priority, we are demonstrating the love that Jesus gives us outward to our community, something we as staff and teachers hope will become a lifelong desire for our students.”

—Karrie Meyers; photos supplied