Orange High Reaches Out by Example
Orange High School students and faculty hosted local veterans, senior citizens, non-profits, neighbors and parents for an evening of entertainment and a dinner. It was their way of giving something to the community and at the same time draw attention to the urgent need to do things for others without any expectation of return.
The dinner was preceded by an hour of comedy skits, music, a jazz combo, poets, and guest speakers. All had the same message, “Look around and help where you can! Help is needed.” The dinner was spaghetti with meat sauce and salad prepared and served by students.
The idea to do for and serve others came to them last year and is based on the film, Pay it Forward. The concept is easy. You do something for someone else. You help them achieve something or satisfy a need, but you do it with no expectation of a return favor. You ask each person you help to not reward you, but to do the same thing for three other people. Each recipient is to then ask each of their recipients to pass it along…. To Pay It Forward.
It is not the size of the gift and the gift can be as simple as mentoring, shoveling snow, cleaning a yard, painting a fence. The idea is to do something for others besides yourself.
At our post, many of our members are doing this day in and day out. They have never put a branding to what they do, they just do it. We have been Paying It Forward with veterans, posts, homeless, hospitalized veterans, and members of our community. We salute the students and faculty in their efforts.