Lynn students celebrate community service

LYNN – Marshall Middle School eighth-grader Axel Barrios didn’t just take part in Gov. Deval Patrick’s Project 351, he chronicled his adventure for the school’s Facebook page.The mission of Project 351 is to unite at least one eighth-grader from each of the state’s 351 communities “for an inspirational year of community service, leadership development and enrichment.”Part of that year includes a Day of Impact, where the kids travel into Boston to take part in a day of service that’s coupled with a tour of the State House. In his journal Barrios said the crowd of kids was split into seven groups and his headed to Amory Street Housing, where they made blankets for 30 residents who lived on a floor with no heat. They also made 200 scarves and 200 goody bags, and the kids had a chance to see some of the 181 tenants wearing their scarves as they left, he said.”I really liked the experience because we thought it might be boring making all of those blankets and scarves, but it really turned out to be fun because we all got to know each other better while we were working,” he wrote. “We shared stories about our cities, and when I said that I was from Lynn, they all thought that it was bad, but I told them that our city is improving so much.”Barrios wrote that there were also students from Pickering Middle School and Breed Middle School as well but he didn’t have a chance to meet them during the day.Pickering was represented by eighth-grader Aaliyah Cleghorn while Cheyenne Porcher was named Breed’s ambassador.During the kick off for the event, which took place Saturday, Patrick began with reflections on Martin Luther King and the event wrapped up with a Community Dinner Celebration. According to Breed Principal Julie Louf, Porcher was nominated for the ambassadorship based on her participation in various extracurricular activities and community service.The busy teen is a member of the school’s chorus and drama club, she works as a peer tutor in both math and science, and is also a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Along with doing a number of community service projects Porcher also sings in a church choir, and works as a professional baby sitter certified in first aid and CPR and infant toddler care. And if that wasn’t enough she also scored a perfect 280 on her last English Language Arts MCAS test.Marshall Principal Richard Cowdell noted that Barrios didn’t go into why he was chosen an ambassador but he did state that he had fun and he learned something as well.”The speakers said that we should bring the idea of service back to our communities,” he wrote. “I’m going to ask my dad because there is a nursing home near my house and I might be able to help those people.I had a great time participating in Project 351 and I was very proud to represent Marshall and Lynn,” he added.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].