On Saturday, May 22, I joined several other Milwaukee Public Schools students in an effort to improve our great city. As part of an annual event called Rebuilding Together — Milwaukee, we helped give someone’s home the mini “facelift” it needed.

With help from We Energies, we transformed an entire home in one afternoon! Together, we painted walls, pulled weeds, installed new light fixtures, replaced tiles, and took the occasional cookie break. (Hey, we’re kids — what do you expect?)

At the end of the day, all of our hard work had paid off. The homeowner was happy, and we felt good about helping someone in our neighborhood. By participating in this event, we hoped to send a message to students everywhere: Get out there and serve your community! If you help to keep your neighborhood clean, you are also helping to keep it safe. Step by step, with projects like Rebuilding Together — Milwaukee, our city will be a reflection of our hopes and dreams!

Jessica Holden, Milwaukee  -  2006
Westside Academy II 8th grader