STAUNTON-Recently fifth grade students began working on their Volunteer Projects as an extra credit assignment for social studies.

The projects consisted of performing an act of good citizenship for neighbors, churches, organizations, or anyone in need. Many students chose to work in groups which allowed them to take on bigger projects.

Pictures of the students performing their good citizenship project will be published in the paper over the next few weeks.

The Patriot Club is an organization created for fifth grade students at Staunton Elementary School. The club purpose is to promote a greater understanding of our responsibilities to our families, schools, communities, and country.

Desiree Vanarsdale brought a homemade cake and drinks for her Sunday School class. She helped her bible class do more for their church community.

Tyler Clark made cupcakes for the Cub Scouts Blue/Gold Ceremony. He helped the Cub Scout Pack 34.

Jake Bruhn shoveled rocks on the playground for Mr. Skertich and helped Mr. Skertich for his project.

Lesly Caldieraro and Ramey Hoehn went to The Glenwood and walked a resident’s dog. They also helped at the Public Library by filing books and designing shelves. They also helped Bud Firnhaber.

In December 2006, during the ice storm, the power lines were down all over town, and many people were out of power for several days. On West Sixth Street, where Tessa Schrader lives, power lines were in the middle of the road, and cars were driving over them! Policemen had to put caution tape up twice, but that still didn’t work. So Tessa made a sign that said, "TURN AROUND" and she stood outside and held it so people would know to turn around in advance. They almost had a big semi Pepsi truck go through the power lines and branches on their street. If he had gone through, he would have knocked the power line completely off and we would have had no power for another week. After that, since she was bored, she shoveled some of her neighbors’ sidewalks and checked to see if they were warm and had food.

Jake Hanner and Zach Carter helped Adopt-A-Pet for their project and assisted Lorraine Jackson in taking care of the animals at Adopt-A-Pet.

Andrea Triplett collected food for the church food pantry at First General Baptist Church.

Evan Dealey and Adam Marra picked up sticks out of their yard. They also picked up sticks off of the playground at Staunton Elementary for Mr. Skertich. They helped Mr. Skertich.

Christopher Royer helped Tim Copeland by raking leaves and picking up sticks and throwing them in the trashcan for his project.

Levi VanDenBossche and Nick VanDenBossche both helped Jerry Lewis with yard work for their project.

Joseph Young, Tim Hill and Kenny Gann helped the Staunton Public Schools and Mr. Smiddy by trimming bushes and raking leaves.

Quade Borror helped his baby-sitter, Chris Raymond cut, clean and stack wood.

Larry Haustein and Barbara Kempernolte both helped with Bingo at Heritage Manor Nursing Home and called bingo numbers, checked cards, and passed out prizes for their project. They also helped Ginny Brown, the Director of Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Staunton.

Kendra Rhodes, Deaven Shaw and Megan Colley both helped Bethalto First Christian Church by cleaning and organizing their facility.

Paige Peterson helped the Olive Fire Department by baking for firemen’s training. Training for the firemen was held March 7.

Brittany Brackman baked cookies for and helped Steph Frizzo.

Dianna Highlander, Kalie Cline, and Abigail Dossett all helped at Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Staunton and helped Pat Maxvill, the Activities Director, with activities.

Cedric Volle helped Mary Beth by raking leaves and sweeping for his project.

David Stuart cleaned up Mary Lou Leonard's yard, by picking up sticks. Mary Lou just had surgery .

Colin Pirok, Jack Jones, and Konnor Elliott helped out the Staunton Country Club by raking leaves from the pool.

Beth Zeller prepared a meal for the Livingston Police Department.

Carly Masinelli, Brittany Bekeske, Alli Whitfield, Hollie Ridenbark, and Kelsey Hall helped out Adopt-A-Pet by cleaning cages and feeding the animals.

Kim Brown made bread for Marge and Arlen Anchutz.

Hailee Cox helped Donna Bagaglio by picking up sticks and wood in her yard.

Jake Lesicko helped Robbie Tevini separate rollers in her beauty shop.

Blake Greer baked cookies for Nancy Roberson.

Miranda Fulton helped her mother prepare for a new baby and took food to her neighbor Cindy Ziegler.

Kim Williams helped clean her neighbors' home, Lenord and Berneen Lovejoy.

Marc Staub, Sean Abernathy, and Brayden Smiley all baked cookies and brownies which they are going to take to their neighbor, Betty Gibson and to Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Staunton.

Kyle Williamson cleaned up sticks and cleaned the yard for JoAnn Dietiker for his extra credit project.

Damien Kulash picked up sticks for an hour in Mrs. JoAnn Dietiker’s yard with Kyle Williamson.

Dennis Thacker helped lay down flooring and trim for Mike for his extra credit project.

Eric Deck made copies and punched holes in forms for Staunton Clinic. He also vacuumed and picked up children’s toys, and filed charts into the file cabinet. He helped Kay E. Knop, Brenda Albrecht, and Clarissa Michuda for his extra credit project for Mr. Smiddy’s class.

Sarah Sneffer and her friends, Becca and Sydney helped Art Braden and cleaned their church on Wednesday night for their extra credit project.

Kaitlyn Lewsader baked brownies for Heritage Manor Nursing Home and helped at Heritage Manor Nursing Home for her extra credit project.

Coda Clapham helped Edwardsville Nursing Home and Sarah Alfine, the Marketing Director of Edwardsville Nursing Home by shredding documents for the marketing director and taking out seven bags of trash.

Drew Allen baked cookies for patients’ families at Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville. He helped families of people having surgery for his extra credit project.

Cole Hester put allergic stickers and ‘07 stickers on charts for Staunton Clinic to help Kay E. Knop.

Sarah Sheffer, Rebecca Holmes, and Sydney White all helped clean up First Assembly of God Church in Staunton and helped David Holmes, a member of First Assembly of God Church in Staunton.

Nathan Mary collected cans of food around town for the local food drive. He also helped with the Boy Scout Fund Raiser for his extra credit project.

Evan Stewart helped put in a new stool and vanity, and painted shelves for T-K Construction and T.L. Young for his extra credit project.

Maddie Reynolds and Sydney Dolpozzo both baked a batch of cookies and brought them to a local resident of Staunton, Doris Fletcher. They also helped her clean and swept her garage and driveway and talked with her for a while for their project.

Brendan Shelton helped a neighbor, Mary Beth by raking leaves for his extra credit project.

Connor Stranimeier helped his neighbor, Mary Beth by raking leaves and cleaning up her yard for his extra credit project.

Zoe Large went around her neighborhood and asked people for a food can and then took bags of food up to the food pantry and helped the food pantry for her extra credit project.

Kim Werner helped Mrs. Corby with errands which she didn’t have time to do for her extra credit project.

Tayton Golem helped her mother’s friend, Melinda Diesselhorst bake a birthday cake for her son, Dillion. She measured and found ingredients and then helped her wash the dishes for her extra credit project for Mr. Smiddy’s class.

Nicolas Skorzewski collected food for the food pantry and helped "His Service Station" for his extra credit project for Mr. Smiddy’s class.