Lorain High School JROTC Students Lend a Hand at Valor Home
Lorain High School JROTC Students Lend a Hand at Valor Home
Lorain High School JROTC students traded their uniforms for paintbrushes as they spent time giving back inside Lorain’s Samuel L. Felton Jr. Valor Home.
The students helped paint interior walls at the home, working together to refresh a space that serves veterans in the Lorain community. With rollers, brushes, ladders and drop cloths spread throughout the hallway, cadets took on the work one section at a time.
The work was hands-on, but the purpose behind it was larger than a fresh coat of paint. It was a way for students to show respect and appreciation for veterans while strengthening their connection to the community around them.
The project gave students a chance to put the values of JROTC into action outside the classroom. Through service, teamwork and attention to detail, the cadets helped improve a space that supports those who have served.
The project was coordinated in part by Brandon Wysocki, director of youth services and community outreach with American Legion Post 30 in Lorain. Wysocki said Post 30 and Valor Home helped provide the materials for the project while Lorain High School JROTC cadets provided the time, effort and teamwork needed to complete the work.
“We’re trying to get them to understand this is already their community,” Wysocki said. “It’s not that it’s waiting for them to rise up. They already have agency. They can already do so many meaningful things that can make meaningful change.”
Wysocki said 11 students participated on the first day of the project and 12 students participated on the second day.
For Lorain High School’s JROTC program, community service is an important part of student leadership development. Projects like this allow cadets to learn responsibility while also seeing the direct impact their efforts can have on others.
By the end of the project, the hallway had a new look and the students had another example of what leadership can look like in action. For these cadets, service was not just something they talked about. It was something they showed through their work.
The fresh paint will be seen by the veterans, staff and visitors who walk through Valor Home, but the work also leaves behind something less visible: a reminder that Lorain students are willing to show up for their community and honor those who have served.
