A helping hand: Young volunteers do their families proud

It might not seem like a big deal -- not really.

But when three Southern Wayne High School students happened along a bunch of debris in Herman Park Monday, rather than walk on by, they decided to do something about it.

The freshmen, out of school because of the hurricane, were not dressed for the job at hand. They were on their way to the mall. But when they learned it was closed, they decided cleaning up the park to make it safer for the children would be a better way to spend their afternoon.

Simon and Cecily Norwood are members of their school's ROTC program, so they said it was natural that they think about donating their time to help others. Their friend, Guadalupe Cielo, remembered when she played in the park as a child, and wanted to do something to give back.

None of the teens thought giving of their time was a big deal. We disagree. We think it was pretty unusual -- and pretty special.

We talk all the time, with sadness, about young people who do not seem to care anymore about their community. We are shocked by the number who are in trouble or seem to be completely disinterested in their education or their futures.

And just when adults think it is time to give up, along comes a story like this about young people who have no reason to help out, but choose to do so anyway, because it is the right thing to do.

What an example not only for their peers, but for their community as well.

If more people volunteered to help out, if more people put on gloves and helped their neighbors, this community would be a much better place.

These teenagers reminded us of that.

Published in Editorials on August 30, 2011 10:43 AM