StuCo Adviser Dedric Williams knows the power of students. As he puts down the phone with the city of Mansfield, he puts the finishing touches on Mansfield ISD’s Day of Service, taking place during school on March 5. Students from different organizations were elected to volunteer throughout the community with their peers.
“So often our mindset is work, work, work, busy, busy, busy that sometimes we don’t let you guys be kids,” Mr. Williams said. “I think if we get to go to the park we will get on the swings or maybe throw a Frisbee around, simply do something that’s kind of fun after you’ve done the work. You work hard, you play hard.”
Day of Service usually consists of students from all five MISD schools, but this year only Legacy and Timberview are going to participate because of scheduling issues with other schools.
“It’s actually a blessing that we’re not all doing it at the same time,” Mr. Williams said. “When you have fewer numbers, you can send [students] to more places, and those places will actually be things where we can actually do work.”
Mr. Williams and Legacy Student Council lead the charge in this event, setting up community service events for selected students.
“Legacy spearheaded [Day of Service] in the past. So obviously, I didn’t want to drop the ball,” Mr. Williams said. “I wanted to make sure that we still had the leading hand in it and if not, then I’m willing to help out with whomever the person is.”
Legacy works with the city of Mansfield and their volunteer coordinator Ms. Julie Sheffler to find service opportunities for Day of Service all throughout the city.
“My favorite part is watching people come together to better our community,” Sheffler said. “Individually, we all might not be able to change the world in big ways, but when we put our differences aside and work together for a common purpose, amazing things happen and we build a stronger, better community.”
Ms. Sheffler has worked as Volunteer Coordinator since 2022, setting up service days throughout Mansfield through clubs, sports teams and organizations. She personally works and serves during Day of Service as well.
“We tried [Day of Service] last year, but we had some issues,” Mr. Williams said. “But this year, the goal is to get it back up on his feet and get it going.”
Mr. Williams ran into many logistical issues with Day of Service last year, but he continues to implement community service opportunities like helping orphans, working at a mission center and volunteering in food banks.
“We’re actually giving back to the community,” Mr. Williams said. “A lot of these nonprofits and a lot of these businesses and even the city, are people that we lean on, right? We asked them for money, we asked them for donations, we asked them for support. So this is our opportunity to kind of pay it back.”
