The air in the Rocky Mountain Food Bank warehouse hums with passion and excitement. Volunteers line tables of produce, their hands a blur, as they fill bags with celery, carrots, onions, and oranges. Amidst the action, one particular group sticks out, working a little bit harder than the rest (and having a little bit more fun than the rest)—three Laradon students.
These Laradon students, who navigate their own unique challenges each day, have carved out time each week to contribute to their community. Each student has found their niche, embracing their role with infectious enthusiasm.
Jose is found putting produce into bags while dancing around and singing to 2000s throwback hits. Junior is weighing bags making sure each bag is perfect, offering a cheerful word of encouragement to every passerby. And Christian is handing out high fives and filling the bags to the perfect amount.
Since fall of 2024, Classroom 10 has volunteered weekly at the Food Bank of the Rockies, Colorado’s largest hunger relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region. These Thursday visits offer the students a meaningful o pportunity to give back.
According to their teacher, Graham Linderman, and their job coach, Sheenan Buckley, these off-campus experiences are invaluable to Laradon students. Not only do they provide real-world exposure for the students, they also offer a powerful glimpse of the joy and spirit that defines Laradon.
Sheenan highlights the vital life and vocational skills the students gain at the Food Bank.
“It gives them overall career and life-skills that help them to be successful individuals in society and potentially have a job one day,” Sheenan explains. “What we’re doing here is no small task. We’re here from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm—that’s a long time. It requires hard work: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our students can sometimes struggle with this, but the ones that are able to come back seem to rise to the task at hand and absolutely love it.”1
One student, Junior, has stepped into the role with full enthusiasm and captivated the hearts of the Food Bank staffers and fellow volunteers. Every Thursday, he arrives ready to work tirelessly, whether he’s hauling heavy crates of produce or ensuring each bag weighs precisely five pounds. He tackles every task with an unwavering smile and a positive attitude.
In case you didn’t know!
Classroom 10 contributed to packing an impressive 1,070 bags of produce, translating to 4,459 meals that will nourish the Colorado community. Their dedication is a powerful reminder that giving back benefits not only the recipients but also empowers the givers in profound ways.
Chris Robinson, the Volunteers Ops Specialist at Rocky Mountain Food Bank, has been particularly impressed by Junior and his classmates’ dedication.
“The Laradon students follow instructions and they’re overly helpful; especially our guy, Junior, he gets in there and he helps,” Chris said. “When they come here, they get experience helping out others. They get to feel like, ‘I’m doing something good for the community’.”
Each new experience for these students is a step in preparing them for life after graduation. They are acquiring crucial life skills that will aid them in forming relationships and securing employment after they leave Laradon.
By: Katey Lewicki, Communications Coordinator
