Volunteers hard work pays off

PLAINS – After 15 years, the crossing guard program at Plains Public Schools is closing down “as we know it,” and in order to help celebrate those years, an appreciation lunch was held in the Home Ec. room of the Plains School.

Not only were the crossing guards awarded with a certificate of appreciation and a gift card to a local restaurant, but other volunteers were also highlighted.

In all, 42 volunteers were recognized, all of which have worked countless hours helping in or around the school. Classroom volunteers, volunteer readers and two foster grandmothers were recognized and celebrated.

After the certificates were awarded, the volunteers were waited on and had three different choices of soup to chose from, along with rolls and dessert.

Organizer Denise Montgomery thanked everyone for coming to the luncheon.

“We really appreciate all the help that is given to our school through crossing guards and our volunteer readers. The kids love you,” Montgomery said. “We are grateful for all the volunteers who worked for us over the years.”

Montgomery was the one who started the crossing guard program, which has always been a 100 percent volunteer ran and volunteer funded program.

After moving from the Wild Horse Elementary School to the main campus of the school, Montgomery passed on the reins to Doris Larson. Larson is now retiring from her position and with her ends the program, for now anyhow.

Larson said no one had stepped up to fill her position, although there is still an opportunity to do so.

Larson did a lot of the behind-the-scenes work and manned the telephones and computers, organizing the volunteers and their hours.

With 72 volunteers in all on the highway and 6,533 hours tallied at the end of March, the volunteers had their hands full. This year 17 guards volunteered almost 320 hours. And that’s without counting all the hours contributed in April, May and what is left of the school year.

“It’s a good thing it’s ending after 15 years,” Larson joked with a laugh. “There’s no more room for another year on legal sized paper.”

Now with a school addition underway, the Wild Horse Elementary will no longer be in use and because of that, there will be less children at the crosswalk. Montgomery credited that and a new bus stop, which picks kids up at the fire station, as the right time to close down the program that she worked tirelessly to build up.

The appreciation event has spanned almost all 15 years of the program. It started off simple, with cookies and punch, and later grew into the event it has become today. Montgomery is happy to help organize it on a yearly basis and believes that everyone who volunteers is doing their part.

“You are making a difference,” Montgomery said to the volunteers. “We are thankful for your support.”

Gena Ferlan, title one teacher at Plains Elementary School explained that the other volunteers who come into the schools offer up a lot of their time to do so.

Overall, Ferlan estimated there were 15 volunteers who fill the hallways with the children, reading alongside them and another ten or so who work in individual classrooms.

“Having them help our kids is helping our students grow with reading,” Ferlan said.