Not Just Picking Up Coffee: Interns Help a Community in Need

The first half of summer has flown by. With the start of a new school year approaching, now is the time when school districts prepare for their students to return. Floors are waxed, repairs are made, parking lots are resealed, and buses are sent for inspection.

Last week, Convoy of Hope’s summer interns got the opportunity to help the Plato R-V school district in Plato, Missouri, get their school ready for staff and students. Summer school let out the day before, and school maintenance staff, administration, and bus drivers immediately started prep work for back-to-school in August. 

Convoy’s interns packed 1,200 bags of fruits and vegetables to give to students, painted three rooms in the school, cleaned six school buses, packed 100 teacher welcome bags, and assembled portable wash stations outside the school.

The list of projects a school needs to complete before students return is long. Additionally, Plato R-V and Life360 Plato decided to host two different distributions for students and families to receive free groceries.

The church and school are less than a one-minute drive from each other, so families could easily get their fresh fruits and vegetables from the school’s distribution, then go by the church to get their other groceries. 

With so much to do, tension could have run high. But with the helping hands of Convoy’s interns and Life360, everyone was in good spirits. 

Chloe, who helped paint offices at the school and pack grocery bags, remembers the atmosphere of the grocery distribution at Life360. “You could really see the community come together. Having the team there made everyone happy.”

Another group cleaned six school buses, giving the bus drivers time to replace the wheels and tires and ensure everything was up to inspection. Since the majority of the bus routes are filled with gravel and dirt roads, the buses needed several rounds of scrubbing and mopping. But Convoy’s interns did the work with joy.

“Many of the things we did weren’t super glamorous, but it’s what the community needed,” said Megumi.

Josh, another intern, added, “They needed help, but they weren’t helpless. They had organization and structure. We were just there to boost what they already had.”

Convoy of Hope’s Field Teams come alongside communities and engage in work that helps them flourish. Opportunities like this one give teams the chance to offer hope and help in a way that affects the lives of not only a child or family, but an entire community. 

“This team worked really hard and was a huge part in helping nurture the partnership between Life360 Plato, the local school, and the community,” said Convoy’s Julie Aye.