On Saturday morning, bright and early, Christmas in April appeared at a house at 11850 H G Trueman Road in Lusby, to try and brighten the lives of those who lived there. The Christmas in April Team was made up of 8 Exelon Employees and 14 students from Mill Creek Middle School National Junior Honor Society, along with 5 adults.
This day they would cut and rake the overgrown grass, mulch the flower and shrub beds and paint the porches and outside of the house. Dillon was the Captain for the House Painting team and Chad was the Captain for the landscaping. The house was originally green with gray blue trim and when they had finished the painting job, it was a lovely shade of brown with white trim. Watching the students for a while, they were very energetic and getting the work done. It is great to see young people volunteering their time to help others.
In December, Christmas in April responded to the home as there was no heat. The volunteers got heat for the home and then worked on some problems within the interior of the house. They knew they would need to come back to tackle some of the outdoor work. Steve Sanders, Exelon Volunteer Leader, was amazed at the number of homes and the amount of work needed. He said it was not something that could be accomplished in one day.
Jennifer Murphy, math teacher at Mill Creek Middle School is the sponsor of the National Junior Honor Society which has over thirty students in the club. The students are all 7th and 8th graders. They pledge commitment to leadership, service and character. The students also need to earn a minimum of twenty hours of community service to remain an active member. Jennifer has many projects throughout the year that the students may choose from for their community service.
Mrs. Lusby, the owner of the home, was very appreciative of all the work done and thought it was a great Mother’s Day gift.
Margit Miller / Calvert Beacon
