Gettys Gives Back
Eighteenth century American poet Lucy Larcom wrote, “If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it.” Larcom’s creative wisdom is the type of language from American literature which facilitates discussion in language arts classrooms during a school wide focus on a service project, such as a canned food drive for the UCM food closet. Using Gettys Gives Back to develop moral character of compassion and commitment to the community, this practice of classroom discussion and the writing of prompts are irrefutable elements in ensuring that moral character is understood and not just motivated for one instant. Gettys Gives Back allows students to fully understand to what they are committing in order to allow morality to become a natural, lifelong desire to serve. Although approximately one half of the students receive free or reduced lunch benefits, generosity and sacrifices demonstrate an awareness and desire to meet needs in their own backyards, from abused women and children to cancer awareness. Gettys Gives Back enables students to find creative and interesting methods to embrace and warm hearts in a community below the state and national levels of employment and formal education.