On May 12th, 650 Monroe High School students wearing blue shirts emerged into the Monroe community as a part of our tradition of giving back. This annual event was started in 2013 as an opportunity for students and staff at MHS to work with community groups, local municipalities, and non-profit organizations to make Monroe a better place for everyone.
Each year, Day of Service is kicked off with an opening rally in which our guest speaker, John Bauman, President of Colony Brands Foundation, delivers a powerful message focused on the importance of giving back to our community and the impact each student can have in doing so. This year, with a broom in his hand, Mr. Bauman inspired MHS students and staff to “sweep up Monroe” and reminded them that the tools they would pick up are only as good as the effort they put into them. He encouraged students to have a positive impact on their community, and brought a level of energy that kickstarted a great day.
Students were then engaged in a variety of service activities throughout the community for the rest of the morning. Each site has unique needs, and a crew of students is sent to work to meet them. Some jobs required pulling weeds, spreading mulch, planting trees, planting flowers, or moving rocks. Other jobs included painting, cleaning, organizing, and moving materials. Students and staff even picked up garbage along the highway, the west side of Monroe, and the Badger Trail. While some students walked to and from the job sites, others were bussed to the sites thanks to the generosity of Lamer’s Transportation Services.
On the job sites, students were met by site coordinators and supervised by MHS staff. For many staff, this is one of the best experiences of the year. The opportunity to work alongside students and get dirty is fun, invigorating, and builds bonds that cannot be made in any classroom. Day of Service allows staff to show students that they have skills beyond the classroom and are not afraid to roll up their sleeves for our community. Moreover, our students get a chance to show off the skills and strengths they have outside the classroom that staff members never get to witness.
This year, we welcomed new sites to our list of Community Partners. At the Historical Society, a crew of students worked to beautify the grounds and help prepare Bethel School to open for visitors this summer. Another crew had the opportunity to work in the Historic Green County Courthouse cleaning the former courtroom following the construction project. Students were given a tour of the work that was done and developed an appreciation for the history of the space they got to experience up close. A DOS crew also completed outdoor landscaping projects for Hospice Home that included weeding of beds, planting and mulching. Adding these community partners allowed us to stretch our service impact even further.
A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in this year’s MHS Day of Service. This year’s event was only possible because of their commitment to our students and our community. Thank you to Colony Brands for sponsoring shirts for every MHS student and adult participant. Gratitude is owed to Lamer’s Bus Service for organizing transportation routes and providing bussing and drivers to and from those sites that were not walkable. Furthermore, we appreciate the support of Monroe Truck Equipment, Badger State Ethanol, and Brodhead Veterinary Clinic who provided work gloves and latex gloves for crews to use when out on job sites. Finally, to our community partners, MSD administration, MHS staff, and MHS students, thank you for bringing Day of Service 2023 to life.
This year we were blessed with the generosity of following organizations, groups, and community partners in the Monroe Community.
● Abraham Lincoln School
● American Legion Riley’s Post #84
● Bountiful Hope Gardens
● Cadiz Springs Park
● Cheesemaker Booster Club
● City of Monroe — Project Rain Water
● City of Monroe Streets/West Clean Up
● DNR Badger Trail Clean-up
● Green County Child Advocacy Center
● Green County Courthouse
● Green County Fairgrounds
● Green County Family YMCA
● Green County Food Pantry
● Green County Highway Department
● Green County Humane Society
● Green County Veterans Memorial Park
● Green Haven Family Advocates
● Historic Cheesemaking Center
● Green County Historical Society
● SSM Health Monroe Hospice Home
● Kiwanis Youth Cabin
● Lamers Bus Service
● Monroe Arts Center
● Monroe Chamber of Commerce/BBBS
● Monroe Clinic Hospital
● Monroe FFA Courtyard
● Monroe Golf Club
● Monroe Health Services
● Monroe Main Street
● Monroe Middle School
● Monroe Parks Dept
● Monroe Senior Center
● Monroe Theater Guild
● Northside Elementary School
● Parkside Elementary School
● Pleasant View Nursing Home
● St. Clare Friedenshiem
● St. John’s United Church of Christ
● St. Victor’s School
● Thrivent Financial Services
● Turner Hall/Wisc Cheese Corp
● Union Presbyterian Church
● United Methodist Church
— Tim Brown is the Monroe High Sschool Day Of Service Co-Coordinator. He can be reached at timothybrown@monroe.k12.wi.us.
