With the scent of crisp peppermint and the sounds of Christmas carols in the backdrop, Cahaba Heights hosted an exciting event on the afternoon of November 11th: Deck the Heights! Members of Vestavia’s AP with WE Service group volunteered at this event, raising money and collecting books for the Alabama Black Belt in cooperation with the UA Center of Economic Development.
What exactly is AP with WE Service? AP with WE Service blends AP’s college-level learning with WE’s service-learning models to create an opportunity for students to apply their AP course knowledge to deal with real-world social issues. By taking part in AP with WE Service, students can build leadership skills, critical thinking and analysis, communication skills, and increased civic engagement. Vestavia Hills High School’s AP with WE Service is led by Zachariah Morgan and Amy Maddox. They both teach AP United States History.
The AP with WE Service group set up at Flip Flops & What Nots, donning posters and signs while handing out candy and mints to passersby. The first shift lasted from 2:00-4:00 PM. Anna Novellino, Tarver Griffin, Wynn Strubel, and Anne Douglas Nunnelley all helped volunteer. Then, the second shift picked up at 4:00 and ended at 6:00 with Ethan Melenevsky, Rohan Parekh, Parker Liu, Sriram Birur, and Terence Li working the interval.
Large crowds filled the streets at Deck the Heights as people enjoyed several Christmas festivities while strolling through the region. Small choirs set up tents, serenading the visitors with a variety of Christmas carols while other groups served out festive foods such as banana pudding and slushies. Some people even dressed up in Christmas costumes such as the Grinch and gave out free hugs to the children. Inflatable slides were also set up to accommodate the kids as their parents strolled in and out of stores and through several pop-up shops.
Volunteers vastly enjoyed the opportunity to help serve their community through this event while also meeting other organizations with the same goal as AP with WE Service. Volunteer Sriram Birur stated, “Volunteering here has been a great experience to see what other organizations around Vestavia are doing to help this community. It’s awesome how everyone comes together during this time to share this holiday.” In the end, the team was able to collect $88.67 in donations, a very successful campaign! What a great job done by the AP with WE Service group!
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