Students to get taste of community service

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- Corona del Mar High School students will get a lesson

in public service this week when they discover the many ways to give back

to their community.

The school will host Community Service Day at 9:50 a.m. Thursday. It

will include 20 service organizations.

The event, the first of its kind to be held by the school, is expected

to give students a clear picture of what service opportunities they have,

said Denise Weiland, the school’s community service specialist.

“It helps build up awareness,” she said. “It’s a good time for seniors

to decide on what projects they want to do. With the holidays coming up,

there will be several opportunities as well.”

Corona del Mar High students already got a head start in community

service Sunday when the school hosted 300 children from the Make-A-Wish

Foundation at a Western fun day and barbecue. That event captured a

farm-like atmosphere with bales of hay, saddles, farm animals and

horseshoes.

It also included games, crafts, live country music and food donated by

the students, community members and the foundation.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District requires students to complete

40 hours of community service during high school.

Students always have trouble picking service organizations off long

lists, said Corona del Mar High School senior Camille Packer.

“(The event on Thursday) will help me find out what these

organizations are about,” she said.

Organizations that will be at the fair include the Community Animal

Network, Environmental Nature Center, Special Olympics, Surfrider

Foundation, Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, Volunteer Center of Orange County

and Working Wardrobes.