Well, it is that time of year again. The days are getting longer, the birds are chirping, and everyone is beginning those dreaded spring cleaning endeavors.
You may have heard talk about the various projects currently underway that are aimed at cleaning up the numerous dilapidated properties around Rising Star. One aspect of this community wide effort is the Beautification Program that is being coordinated by the Rising Star ISD Foundation.
This program focuses on providing incentives to high school students who are interested in getting involved in the community through volunteer work in community service programs. The program offers students willing to put in a minimum of 100 hours a year of community service, the opportunity to earn up to $1000 annually in college scholarships.
The students will be assisting the City’s Building and Standards Board in their house demolition project as well as tackling some projects of their own. These motivated students will be offering up their services free of charge to individuals in the community that are physically or financially unable to maintain adequate upkeep on their personal residence. They will offer services including, lawn mowing, landscaping, general cleanup, house painting, and light exterior remodeling.
This program is a win-win opportunity for Rising Star. These great kids will be learning the value of a hard day’s work and earning money for college while improving the look of the town with every completed property.
In addition to offering cleanup services free of charge, the students will be participating in a horticulture program that compliments the cleanup effort. The students will grow “Texas friendly” or drought resistant plants to be used in their landscaping projects as well as to be sold to raise funds for the program. This horticulture program not only helps in providing a water efficient landscape design to needy residents but also teaches the students important lessons about horticulture and agriculture that they can take with them and implement later on in life.
If you have wanted to assist in these and other community efforts but are short on time and money to donate, then the foundation has the perfect opportunity for you. The Rising Star ISD Foundation is in desperate need of individuals willing to donate used lawn care equipment to be used by the students on the upcoming projects. The foundation needs everything from riding mowers, push mowers, weed eaters, blowers, edgers, extension cords, hedge trimmers, chainsaws, tillers, rakes, shovels, hoes, spades, wheelbarrows, gas cans, ladders, trash cans… anything that can help the foundation get these kids to work.
The program is also in need of two small trailers to refurbish and use to transport equipment to the job sites. It does not matter if your equipment is in mint condition or has been given the cold shoulder for a while. The foundation can repair your machines and get them back in service. Anything on this list is needed or any other related items that we can get, running or not. The Rising Star ISD foundation will also issue tax deductible donation receipts to anyone kind enough to donate equipment to the program.
Once again you will be helping yourself financially while at the same time providing much needed equipment for this important program. If you or someone you know wishes to make an equipment or monetary donation to this program or you wish to sponsor a student to participate in this program, please call Sarah at (325)-203-3262. The foundation is taking donations immediately and looks forward to putting these students to work cleaning up Rising Star.
