Photo Courtesy of OLA School

ATLANTA—Our Lady of the Assumption School celebrated its 14th annual Day of Service on Sept. 18. Centered around community service, the day teaches students about the value of helping those in need.  

The Sisters of Mercy, who served at the school, started the tradition in 2011. The day begins with a Mass, and then students participate in several activities. Each project aids organizations and communities including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Rise Against Hunger, Meals on Wheels, Mercy Care, CURE Childhood Cancer and others. 

“The whole school community is involved, students, parents and teachers,” Our Lady of the Assumption principal Mandy Crock said. “It’s just such a special day for everyone.”  

Each grade had a jam-packed schedule of tasks and important class lessons about volunteering. Students maneuvered through the busy day with enthusiasm.  

“I love that I feel like we’re making a difference, it’s one of my favorite days of the school year,” said Polly Pittman, sixth-grade student. “We’re really helping people and showing love for them.”  

Pre-K students crafted ornaments for patients at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home and painted Thanksgiving holiday placemats for Meals on Wheels recipients. The kindergarteners assembled and decorated appreciation bags for healthcare workers and created sticker crosses for Mercy Care patients.  

First graders decorated colorful stained-glass crosses, and designed hero capes for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patients and staff. They assembled beaded bracelets and meal kits for the homeless served by Mercy Care. 

Second-grade students painted placemats for Meals on Wheels clients and put together meal kits for CURE. The youngsters also constructed sticker rosaries and stained-glass crosses for patients and staff at Mercy Care.  

Third-grade students made bookmarks for Books for Africa, suncatcher crosses for Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, laundry packs for CURE, flowerpots for the Orchard Senior Center and sticker rosaries for the hospital’s chapel. 

Catholic Charities of Atlanta will receive Christmas stockings for their programs, made by fourth-grade students. 

Officer G. Dunn of the Brookhaven Police Department stops by OLA School to help students pack meals for Rise Against Hunger. In addition to meal packing, students wrote letters to veterans and crafted items for local charities. Photo Courtesy of OLA School

Students in fourth through sixth grade helped Rise Against Hunger in the school gymnasium. The students, full of excitement and energy, worked alongside classmates at stations to pack more than 14,000 meals with the organization.  

The sixth graders kicked the projects up a notch by sorting food pantry items for St. Vincent de Paul. In an environment of joy and chaos, the sixth graders spontaneously chanted phrases like “service,” “veggies” and “teamwork,” to motivate classmates.  

The parents of sixth graders donated the food items to the school, and then students sorted donations into boxes to be sent out.  

“Filling these boxes with food and giving them to the community is so amazing, and just knowing that God is with them as they are donated is what makes this all so fun,” said sixth- grade student Parker McDonough.  

The sixth graders also bedazzled key chains for the Mercy Care rehousing project and wrote comfort notes for patients at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home.  

Sixth-grade students at Our Lady of Assumption School created these bedazzled cross keychains for Mercy Care’s rehousing project. Photo by Natalia Duron

All grade levels wrote “Thank You” cards to veterans.  

The seventh- and eighth-grade students climbed aboard buses after the morning Mass to work off campus at different sites including Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home, the Ronald McDonald House, Catholic Charities Atlanta, Brook Run Community Gardens, Books for Africa and the Elaine Clark Center.  

These students assembled kits, cleaned facilities and sorted books among other activities. 

The annual Day of Service is a beautiful way to show students the Catholic value of helping others, said Crock, and is a “tradition that will always get the students excited.”