Community Service

Give Back to Those in Need

OCSD wants to give back to the community around them as do many of our families. Most just need to figure out when or where to start. Whether you are looking for for a yearlong project or simply want to spend an afternoon serving those around you, one of these 25 community service opportunities may be just what you are looking for. 

In School Opportunites

  1. Pack Backpacks - Students pack backpacks with school supplies to give to less privileged students within the community. 
  2. Thank You Notes - Students will be writing thank you notes for our heroes - soldiers overseas, police, and firemen around town. We are also sending the to our unsung heroes - school janitors, cafeteria workers, and staff.
  3. What I Learned - Students to go to a classroom of students in the grade below them. They talk to the students about what they wish they had known when they were in that grade and give advice.
  4. Pack Lunches - We'll be heading to the cafeteria and pack bagged lunches for the school to donate to homeless shelters and others in need.
  5. Encouraging Notes - Students create encouraging notes to leave in books in the school library to brighten someone’s day.

Outside of the Classroom

  1. Read to Seniors - We are heading to a local nursing home and students practice their reading skills by reading to the residents.
  2. Take a Walk - Together we walk around your school’s campus and pick up trash, making it beautiful!
  3. Charity 5K - Volunteers help check runners in or hand out water at a race where people run. to raise money for charity. 
  4. Habitat for Humanity - Our class will be helping out with a Habitat for Humanity project. We also hold a donation drive for items the family will need once they move into their new home.
  5. Toiletry Bags - We'll be handing out bags of toiletries and non-perishable food to homeless people or others in need in your community

Long-Term Projects

  1. Book Buddies - Partnering with another class, we create a book buddies system, where older children can help younger children practice their reading skills.
  2. Yardwork - An easy and practical way to help your community is by finding homes near your school with older or homebound residents and head over as a class every few weeks to help out with yardwork.
  3. Fresh Food - Plant a garden at your school. When your produce starts to bloom, donate all the fresh food to a local food pantry or a place where access to fruits and vegetables isn’t very common.
  4. Food Pantry - Volunteer to sort donations at your local food pantry once a quarter as a class.
  5. Tech Teaching - Head to a local retirement community or senior center once a month and help the residents learn to use the latest technology.