Even one person can help make a community vibrant and loving. Students at Westview in the Department for Exceptional Children have learned that and are always ready to step up and lend a hand. On November 22, six student volunteers and four staff members visited Cameron Community Ministries in the Lyell-Otis Neighborhood of Rochester to prove they could make a difference.

Volunteering at Cameron has become a tradition for Westview students, who have been visiting regularly over the years to help the Center prepare for the holidays. This year, the team filled food boxes for more than 100 community families with chicken or turkey, potatoes, eggs, stuffing, butter, veggies and bread. They cheerfully helped carry the heavy boxes out to cars or assisted folks in filling their shopping baskets with more items from the Center’s food pantry. In between, Westview helpers worked hard, carrying in new food donations from three different partner organizations and arranging them on tables.

Student volunteers enjoyed working together and were rewarded with knowing they helped make Thanksgiving a happier time for many in the community. They also earned Work-Based Learning hours towards their elective credits in the classroom.

In addition to its emergency food pantry, Cameron Community Ministries serves free hot lunches daily, provides clothing and housewares, and runs afterschool and summer youth programs. https://cameronministries.org/