By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
More than three dozen junior high and high school students from Atmore Christian School — accompanied by a trio of ACS teachers, a local homeschooled student and seven adults — recently got a hands-on lesson in volunteerism.
The group traveled to Blountstown, Fla. and spent a day helping with the massive cleanup that is being conducted across the Florida Panhandle in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.
ACS Secretary Twila Bender said there were two reasons why the project was undertaken and why it was undertaken in the Blountstown area. She said the first reason is that school staff wanted to give students in grades 7-12 “some exposure to volunteerism.”
The fact that a member of Mennonite Christian Fellowship, of which the school is a ministry, and an ACS teacher have relatives in that area made it the perfect place for the volunteerism lesson. The group made one trip to the devastated area, leaving Atmore early on the morning of December 3 and returning that night.
ACS students who participated in the humanitarian effort were Emmett Battles, Grant Gades, Molly Gandy, Brooklyn Hursh, Tava Johnson, Anna Kathryn Peavy, Dexter Smoker, Luke Still, Elizabeth Terry, Shanivia Thomas, Helen Weber,
Claire Girby, Tiffany Gookin, Garrett Harper, Sydney Mast, Brionna Slate, Abby Weber, Owen Weber, Justus Zundel, Caeden Battles, Titus Dean, Gage Gades, Daylin Wallace,
Harleigh Crumbley, Morgan Jury, Micah Mast, Reese White, Lylia Albritton, Jordan Donnell, Paxton Hobbs, Jordan Talmage, Jace Weber and Kyle Hostetler.
ACS staffers Tim Battles, Chris Terry and Justin Halteman were part of the group, as was homeschooler Jadon Torres. The adults who helped chaperone the students were Sanford Helmuth, Leonard Hursh, Ron Zundel, Samantha Zundel, Canaan Zundel, Marcia Hostetler and Rocky Harper.