Mount de Sales students help Rebuilding Macon serve the elderly

The junior class of Mount De Sales Academy picked up paint brushes Thursday to help Rebuilding Macon give back to elderly residents.

MACON, Georgia(41NBC/WMGT) – The junior class of Mount de Sales Academy picked up paint brushes Thursday to help Rebuilding Macon give back to elderly residents.

More than 100 students repainted four homes across Macon for residents who aren’t able to.

MDS Head Football Coach Grey Yates says this is part of the students’ annual community service day.

“For us, it’s just being out together as a group, kind of our junior class staying together as a group, and then working for something other than an academic school day,” Yates said. “So they’re happy to be out of the classroom first and foremost, and then in the community kind of giving back and hopefully learning some lessons from that.”

Rebuilding Macon Executive Director Debra Rollins hopes this will inspire the students to volunteer more in the community.

“It is a great benefit to our community,” Rollins said. “But one of the best things is we’re training new volunteers, so we’re raising a new generation of volunteers that 20 years from now, these kids will bring their kids out to be painting houses for us.”

Students like Sawyer Stuart say this experience has taught her that working together can change the lives.

“It’s nice to give back and help people that aren’t so fortunate like us,” Stuart said. “And we’re all glad to be in this kind of community to give back. It’s a big leap into the world, and so I think it’s good. It’s gonna help other people to see that we can help out more.”

Rebuilding Macon is working on several other projects to help residents. If you’re interested in volunteering, go to rebuildingmacon.org.