Underprivileged students go unnoticed every day — we may walk by them, talk to them, or be them.

That’s why Arapahoe Community College has started a team called ViTal, (which stands for Volunteering to Learn)  and leaders Professor Diana Hornick and Dr. Josie Mills work alongside other ACC staff to gather donations such as food and school supplies, in order to give back to students in need.

Every semester they choose to help out with a new area of life within the local Littleton community.  This semester they’ve started by tackling their first job right here on campus which is colloquially referred to as “kids helping kids.”

As contained within the title “Volunteering to Learn,” young students from Colorado Academy were escorted by their parents to work alongside Hornick and Mills to stuff backpacks with much-needed school supplies and snacks for students at Sheridan High School — over 60 of them.

“Kids need protein” says the staff as they made sure each backpack included a hefty sausage that would personally last me a whole week, as well as school supplies, toiletries and peanut butter.

When asked about how it made her feel to be a part of something so big, one of the young girls, with a big smile and hands on her hip, almost like a superhero, said “Good!” As we know, kids may not want to talk much to strangers, but the greatness that was created in that room and the goal of task spoke louder than words.

The student-prepared donations were delivered to the students of Sheridan Middle School on Monday, January 30th.

Everyone was so in tune with the project and not only cared about getting it done, they also cared about the people they were helping.

This is an important aspect of life for these kids to be learning at such a young age.  I too have a daughter on free-and-reduced lunch at her school and programs like these have helped us through tough times, many times.  It is valuable for children to learn through direct involvement, as the lessons learned have the potential to stick with them long after they’re done and follows them for the rest of their lives.

We should never forget that it doesn’t take from us to need help or give help, rather it gives us the security that someone will help us as well as the great feeling of knowing we made a difference in someone else’s life.

ViTal is doing great things here at ACC and it should not go unnoticed! Get out there today and help someone, even if it is in the littlest way, I can bet you can make a difference!