LAHARPE A hearty group of 48 volunteers, ranging from college students to residents in their 70s, flooded LaHarpe with trucks, trailers, shovels and rakes Saturday, to help clean up debris and brush from 19 local yards.
The cleanup day effort was a collaboration between LaHarpe PRIDE, Thrive Allen County and the Kansas Health Foundation.
The impetus was a grant Thrive received from the Health Foundation to fund resident-led projects in LaHarpe.
Among the top priorities identified by the residents was a cleaner community, leading to Saturdays effort.
Among the participants was a group of students from Kansas State University, who eschewed a fall break in favor of doing community service projects, and members of Allen Community Colleges baseball and cross country teams, its Phi Theta Kappa chapter, and others.
I loved seeing both K- State and Allen youth working with LaHarpe residents, said Lindsey Temaat, an Allen student who also works at Thrive. I have been able to be a part of the progress being made in LaHarpe, and it warms my heart to know how big a difference volunteers can make in residents lives, especially when those volunteers are from my college and hometown.
Damaris Kunkler, deputy director of community engagement at Thrive, said she hopes to coordinate further with Allen and KSU on projects in January.
Much good was accomplished Saturday, LaHarpes Harry Lee Jr. said. The students who were with me worked very well. I think those we helped were appreciative. It was good for LaHarpe, good for the students and good for the citizens we helped. That sounds like a win, win, win!
