Volunteers boost MCC outreach

Rachel Piquette, 19, of Woodstock helps Martha Heer dry her freshly painted nails Wednesday at Heartstone Manor in Woodstock. Piquette and Kayla Lucky (not pictured), 18, are McHenry County College Promise students who have volunteered to give manicures to the residents at Heartstone Manner every week. (Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com)

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WOODSTOCK – Rachel Piquette and Kayla Luckey spend two hours a week giving manicures to fulfill college scholarship requirements.

On Wednesday, the two McHenry County College students set up shop in an activity room in the memory care unit of Hearthstone Senior Living Community and painted the nails of Mary Potter, 90, and Martha Heer, 88.

The volunteer work they do is required as part of their Promise scholarships at MCC.

Piquette, 19, and Luckey, 18, removed old nail polish, filed nails, helped the women choose from an array of colors, and engaged in the usual salon-style conversation.

“Aren’t they gorgeous?” Potter said, holding up her hands and displaying her freshly painted nails.

Later, the students brought their beauty supplies to Norma Stone, a 91-year-old resident who had volunteered at Hearthstone for more than 40 years.

“I feel very dressed up. Everyone likes looking nice,” Stone said after having her nails done. “We always need volunteers. The best thing in the world is to have someone show up at your door.”

Promise students such as Piquette and Luckey are significantly enhancing MCC’s outreach efforts. The roughly 930 students enrolled in MCC’s Promise program plan to volunteer for nearly 15,000 hours of community service this semester at more than 70 McHenry County organizations.

Still in its inaugural semester, the Promise program provides tuition scholarships for incoming McHenry County high school graduates. Funded by the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation, the program attracted twice as many students as expected. Participants have been required to maintain a 2.0 grade-point average and perform 16 hours of community service each semester, although requirements are changing as soon as next semester.

For nonprofit groups such as the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry, the students are a big help during these tough times.

“They’ve been very accommodating and eager to help,” pantry operations director Mary Terese Piemonte said. “It’s been wonderful to have them with us, especially when we have to tackle large jobs.”

The pantry, which serves about 280 families each month, has about 110 volunteers, including 15 students from the Promise program. Students sort food items, stock shelves, and help those in need fill their cars with groceries. They also do inventory and weigh food donations. And many perform more than the 16 hours required for participation in the Promise program.

“They are going beyond what they need to do, and it’s really working well,” Piemonte said. “I think its good for everyone.”

Promise students also are involved in a variety of service groups. Volunteer organizations include homeless shelters, food pantries, churches, youth sports clubs, schools, animal rescue shelters, and municipal governments.

MCC freshmen Leah Bohl and Brittany Reiser chose to do their volunteer hours at Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Program in Richmond. Main Stay teaches special needs students to ride a horse and touts the social, emotional and physical benefits of equine therapy.

An experienced rider, Bohl said volunteering at Main Stay was a natural choice. The 18-year-old Richmond resident is taking general education classes at MCC through the Promise program and plans to study veterinary medicine in the future. She wants to be an equine or large animal vet.

Bohl had wanted to volunteer at Main Stay for several years, and the Promise program gave her an opportunity.

“I love it, I love the environment and being able to work with the kids and horses,” she said.

Bohl considers herself lucky to be involved in the Promise program and said she was grateful for the chance to participate.

Main Stay serves about 80 special needs students each month and has about 100 volunteers to lead the children on horseback or walk alongside them to ensure they stay on, volunteer coordinator Danielle McKenna said.

“Leah and Brittany are both wonderful. They are very professional, they show up on time and are willing to stay late,” she said. “And we are always in need of volunteers.”

More than a dozen Promise students are helping out with some of the county’s most vulnerable residents at the McHenry County PADS homeless shelter in Woodstock. Students serve meals, check in people for overnight stays, and assist with clerical work, said Rebecca Heeman-Moore, outreach case manager.

Volunteering with organizations such as PADS is especially beneficial for students interested in a career in social services. It can provide them with experience and a better understanding of the field, Heeman-Moore said.

“I think it’s a great program; it’s very smart,” she said. “It helps us, and it helps the students.”