Darien High School student Caroline Feehan is into carpentry and likes to make things out of wood. She'll get the chance to put those skills to good use after signing up for the Joshua House Fund at the school's Volunteer Fair on Friday morning.
"I think it's a really good idea to get everyone involved," Feehan said as she and her friends signed up to volunteer for different nonprofits. She also volunteers at Stamford Hospital as part of the Healing Hands program in which dogs are taken to visit patients with heart problems.
"It's clinically proven that if somebody has a bad heart, petting a dog will help slow their heart rate. It's really fun to go," she said.
Some students have volunteered for years. Others, including Dylan Gabriel, have not had the experience. "This is a great way to start," he said. "I heard there are some people here who signed up for everything."
More than 45 local organizations attended the fair, which was co-sponsored by The Daily Darien. Many students signed up to help at nonprofits such as Person-to-Person, Safe Rides, Aging in Place, Family Centers, the Maritime Aquarium and the Darien Community Association Thrift Store.
JT Fucigna signed up at Person-to-Person, where he has volunteered in the past. "I carried food down and helped with packaging. It was a good experience and overall it made me want to come back. It feels good to help out the community," he said.
The event was packed with more than 800 students. Catie Carnes said she has volunteered for Person-to-Person and an animal shelter previously and said the organizations weren't the only ones that benefit.
"It was a good experience, I really liked it," she said. "I thought it was a lot of fun, and I made some new friends."
What organizations do you and your kids volunteer for? Tell us your stories in the comment below or on Facebook.
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