Whiz Kid: Westland student volunteers

School: Westland Middle School

Accomplishment: Fifteen students visited the Silver Spring charity, A Wider Circle, on March 1 for a day of service. The students, ages 12 to 14, plan to continue working with the charity. They called the event “Make a Difference Day!” and their work certainly accomplishes that.

A Wider Circle provides furniture and a wide variety of basic items to low-income families and families transitioning out of homeless shelters.

The students helped with moving, dusting and cleaning donated furniture, washing and organizing dishes and sorting through toys, games and books for the children’s section.

A Westland parent who works with the charity submitted an announcement about the volunteer opportunity to the school and to a community listserv to find students who would want to participate. The day was a major success.

Key to awesomeness: Students were able to interact with families picking out furniture at the charity that day and see the impact of their work.

Amanda Waugh, a Westland parent who nominated the group, said everyone was “impressed by the maturity and work ethic that the students showed.”

Her daughter, seventh grader Lily Cantor, heard about the charity on the morning announcements at school and wanted to participate right away.

“The day was about continuing Westland’s commitment to community service,” said Waugh. She said the day was the beginning of a partnership between Westland and A Wider Circle, and another group of students will visit the charity later in the year.