Students in Avery and Watauga Counties joined together on Saturday, April 27th to participate in Mountain Alliance’s annual Youth Service Day. Together, students completed almost 400 hours of service in the community, with adult volunteers/chaperones completing an additional 150 hours of service. “This is our biggest turnout for Youth Service Day in the last several years!” shared Rachel Witmer, Mountain Alliance Associate Director. “Youth Service Day is one of my favorite events that we do and I love seeing all of these high school students coming together to serve their community.”
The 67 students and 21 adults served at 7 different sites across the two counties: Blue Ridge Conservancy, Foscoe Grandfather Community Center, Grandfather Mountain, Hospitality House, Project Parkway, River Clean Up on the Boone Greenway, and Valle Crucis Community Park. Students worked hard all day pulling invasive species, cleaning up trails, clearing out living spaces, picking up trash, painting, mulching, and more! After dedicating several hours of service to their assigned sites, students were able to come together for a post-service celebration at Valle Crucis Community Park complete with food, games, music, pinatas, crafts, and a raffle. “Getting to hang out with friends and getting to help out was pretty fun,” said Avery County junior Quinn Wilson. “I think it’s important to help out in our community because not a lot of people do and, when we do, we can help make the world a better place.”
In addition to students who regularly participate in Mountain Alliance, there were several other groups that participated including: Playmakers/WHS Theatre, Interact Club, Trailblazers, JROTC, Design Club, and NHS from Watauga High School; Environmental Club, AP Environmental Science, and SkillsUSA from Avery County High School; and a group from Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church. “I think it’s really cool to see people your age concerned about the same problems you are and to have the community and space to do something about it,” said Watauga County senior Abbey Mosteller. “It seems like at this age, you don’t always have the power to make change, but Youth Service Day gives us the opportunity to do that.”
Mountain Alliance operates out of Watauga High School and Avery County High School and is free of charge to students. The non-profit provides transformative experiences and support so that all High Country teens have the opportunity to lead an empowered, adventurous, and service oriented life, regardless of means or background. Through service outings, students gain a sense of perspective, understanding, and concern for those around them and a new appreciation for the betterment of community while gaining insight into social and environmental issues. In addition to providing service opportunities, Mountain Alliance offers adventure, community, cultural, leadership, mentorship, and academic support programs. Most importantly, Mountain Alliance gives students a place to grow, belong, and connect.
For more information about Mountain Alliance or to learn how to get involved, visit www.MountainAlliance.org or email Rachel@MountainAlliance.org.
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