Oct 31, 2022
BATAVIA — Students from Batavia High School spent their mornings and part of their afternoons away from the classroom and instead spent their time helping in the community.
This was Make a Difference Day, a time for seniors to volunteer at any of 21 places, from All Babies Cherished to the YMCA. Students accompanied by school staff, came to help clean up various sites or do whatever else the people who ran those locations needed them to do.
At Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue, seniors Kenyon White, Keira Odachowski and Gavin Lawlis chose to volunteer to rake leaves with some of their classmates and then bringing them out to the lawn in front of the cemetery.
“I chose because of the teacher and because it’s quiet here — and it’s fun,” White said as Odachowski and Lawlis laughed. All three said they liked High School teacher Michael Schreiner, who was in charge of the group at that site.
Schreiner said he teaches all three students, among other seniors.
“I’m one of he senior teachers. Probably half of these kids I have in class,” he said.
“I just figured they loved raking, that’s why they chose this one,” he said, jokingly, of White, Odachowski and Lawlis.
“All the places, we advertise them in school as they get close to this date,” Schreiner said. “They know about all the places. They’re doing well.”
The teacher said he had 12 seniors volunteering at the cemetery Friday.
Across the city, at Robert Morris on Union Street, at Community Schools, Leigh LeFevre, Miya Vasciannie and Alyssa Vickery were volunteering at Batavia Community Schools’ Community Closet, which has all sizes of clothing, pre-k, toddler, extra-large, etc.
“We just have it donated here and then we have it laid out for anyone to come and take and use,” LeFevre said. “The whole point of this is that people can come in and assist.”
