Hands-on-Atlanta 9/11 Day of Service Community Service: Cocoa for Heroes

For members of the ESSENTIAL STEP TEAM, the 2011-2012 school year started with a spirit of appreciation, creativity and service.

Ron Clark Academy upperclassmen enlisted as youth volunteers for the Hands-on-Atlanta 9/11 Day of Service Community Service: Cocoa for Heroes. As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approached, students listened intently to personal accounts of 9/11 shared by Mrs. Barnes and her father, Mr. Arauz, who skyped from his Honduran home to retell the resilience of New Yorkers on that day. Students started a new filmography class and opened the semester with the film World Trade. Analysis of this film allowed them to better understand the events of that fateful day.

Informed and inspired, RCA upperclassmen created hand-painted mugs bearing words of gratitude and original art work. The mugs were then filled with clever treats like BIG RED and LIFE SAVERS for our heroic firemen and homemade cookies and hot cocoa treats for the first-responders whose bravery keeps us all safe.   

On Thursday afternoon the Essential Step Team proudly marched over to local Fire Station 2 to treat Atlanta’s Bravest to dinner and a step show in their honor. Station 2 firemen were so excited about welcoming the RCA students that they called fellow firefighters at Station 30 and local police officers to experience this show of gratitude firsthand.  

The Essentials Step Team was joined by the RCA Dragons Basketball Team and Essential Moms as the mugs, cards and treats were presented to Captain Maddox, Captain Wade and their men.

The firemen and police officers were genuinely thrilled with the outpouring of appreciation and were so impressed with the RCA students that it behooved them to thank the teachers and staff for their outstanding work with the children. One fireman even remarked that he taught before becoming a fireman and truly understood what it took to shape the next generation.  He could not thank the staff enough.

RCA seventh and eighth graders were ingenious in executing this service, surpassing Mrs. Barnes’ expectations when she dedicated the Community Service Learning Project to the memory of friend and fire fighter Shawn Powell of Engine 207. On 9/11 he entered the towers without a second thought…

WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER.