MVCTC Students and Staff in Giving Spirit this Holiday Season

Students and staff at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center (MVCTC) have embraced the spirit of the holiday season and taken on many projects to give back to others in the Miami Valley. From assisting with the Thanksgiving dinners in November to helping families at the school, several student organizations have become involved in one way or another this year.

During the month of November, the students in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) held a food drive and donated all the food collected to the Precious Blood Food Bank. MVCTC programs involved in FCCLA include Early Childhood Education, Hospitality Services, and Culinary Arts. Some of these programs completed additional giving projects in November. The Culinary Arts students participated in “A Feast of Giving”, formerly known as the Beerman Family Thanksgiving Dinner. Junior Culinary Arts instructor, Marian Fraley, initiated the project, which had the students preparing 1,000 apples used by renowned Chicago Chef, Art Smith, to create his personal Thanksgiving dressing recipe. Fox-45 aired a special program Thanksgiving morning, and MVCTC Culinary Arts students were highlighted. Downing Fruit Farm in Hollansburg, Ohio donated all apples for Chef Art Smith’s recipe.

Students in the Hospitality Services program made gingerbread houses to donate to Maria-Joseph Living Care Center. It was a collaborative project with the students English and Lab classes.

Students involved in the SkillsUSA II and III chapters held their annual food drive to benefit the Holiday Aid initiative. Students filled two large 55-gallon barrels with their donations, which will go to the Dayton Food bank. The Digital Design Technology Tech Prep program brought in the most food donations this year.

The Air Force ROTC students collected items to send to troops serving overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. They were able to fill five boxes and mailed them on Friday, December 11, 2009, to arrive in time for Christmas.

The MVCTC FFA Chapter has been very busy this year with the 28th Annual Ronald McDonald House Charity Auction. Over the past 28 years, students have raised well over $130,000 for the local Ronald McDonald House. The FFA Chapter donated $250 to Children’s Hospital and $250 to the CROP/Church World Services Program through the Ohio FFA Association. The FFA Chapter also participates in the Harvest for America Program, by collecting non-perishable food throughout the school and community from November 16 to February 20. The entire collection will benefit a local shelter.

Students in the MVCTC alternative educational program Youth Connections completed a fundraiser to provide holiday dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas to local families. They gave away two dinners at Thanksgiving and will give away three or four more at Christmas. The decision was made to work together to provide holiday cheer for students and their families at Youth Connections in need of assistance.

Students and staff in the Adult Education Medical Assisting and Practical Nursing programs worked together to collect donations for the VA Medical Center. Students indentified in November that patients at the VA Center were in need of toiletry, clothing, and books. The students used their own funds to purchase these supplies, and delivered the articles of clothing, personal care items, and puzzle books to the VA Medical Center. They also spent the day interacting with the patients, playing several games of bingo. This was a truly enjoyable event and everyone involved shared fun and fellowship. The veterans and medical staff were very appreciative of the MVCTC students’ efforts.

The MVCTC staff established the MVCTC Education Foundation in 1991 to assist students whose financial or personal needs would prevent them from achieving an education and reaching their full potential. The Foundation each holiday season donates gift cards to MVCTC students and their families in need of temporary assistance at the holiday time.

In addition to the group community service projects, many MVCTC staff members on their own adopt local families at the holiday time to ensure those in need of assistance are able to feel the joy of the holiday season.

For more information about MVCTC and the opportunities available for both high school and adult students, please visit www.mvctc.com.