“As soon as we got to her home, I immediately could tell that she was such a positive light,” said club president Rachael Cline. “Even though she said her treatments were hitting her hard, she was positively radiant that day we went to her garden.”
The students spent the day at Matt’s house, working in her yard. They weeded, cleared and mulched her landscaping and flowerbeds, planted potted flowers for her front porch, and placed rocks throughout her flowerbeds with inspirational messages written on them to “lift her spirits during this time.”
Something Cline loves about being president of the Junior Optimist Club is getting to organize moments like this one.
“The feeling of helping someone else is unmatched,” she said. “Yes, weeding and mulching in the hot sun is not the most desirable job, but when you’re laughing, listening to Taylor Swift, and most importantly, helping someone, it makes it so much fun.”
The students also took Matt a basket of goodies to help her during her treatments such as a fuzzy blanket, lip balm, lotion, a candle and chocolate, Crew said.
Cline said Matt is “so compassionate and kind,” and even made them Rice Krispies Treats and Kool Aid for when they were finished.
“Mrs. Tammy is a beloved bus driver for the district,” Crew said. “The students wanted to do something nice for her.”
The Junior Optimist Club has 50 members and its motto is, “Making the district and community a better place one service project at a time.”
About the Author
