More than 300 volunteers helped restore the nearly 4-acre Prairie View Cemetery on Forney's east side as part of an Impact Change service project on Saturday morning, November 16, 2013.
Impact Change is a student involvement program created at Warren Middle School in 2011 to combat bullying and to promote kindness through an evolved “culture of kindness.” Warren Middle School Principal Kenneth Pearce says he wants to use positive peer pressure to change students attitudes.
“If the kids get involved, the parents will get involved,” said Pearce. “I think it is up to the kids to change the adults. This cemetery project is just the beginning.”
Impact Change provided a place, a project, and a way to serve. From there, the students began organizing volunteer groups. The movement quickly spread like wildfire and, on Saturday morning, not only did Warren Middle School students, parents, and faculty members show up to work at the cemetery, students and community members from all over Forney came prepared to serve.
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The cemetery, which is home to nearly 500 graves, is currently being cared for by one man – 28-year Army veteran L.C. Randolph of Forney, Texas. Randolph took over as the sole caretaker of the cemetery after the previous caretaker was unable to keep up with the maintenance due to age.
“It's a great thing for the community to come out like this,” said Randolph, a Forney Booker T. Washington graduate. “I couldn't be more proud of Forney, it's well appreciated.” Randolph grew up in Forney, graduated from Booker T. Washington school, enlisted in the Army where he served 28 years, and then moved to Dallas for several years before returning to his hometown of Forney, Texas.
The condition of the cemetery has been very poor for more than a couple decades and usually only cared for by volunteers who dedicate years of their lives preserving a corner stone of Forney's history.
Warren Middle School Assistant Principal Robyn Grossnicklaus said after the restoration project they hope to file paperwork to declare the cemetery a Texas Historical Landmark which could provide resources to help with the cemetery's maintenance.
Approximately half the graves at Prairie View Cemetery are unmarked, some covered in foliage, and some headstones were even underground. Volunteers worked to find the unmarked graves and placed old bricks found at the cemetery to mark the grave sites. Volunteers also used rods to find buried headstones and dug them up and repositioned them at the head of the grave.
Volunteers also repainted the fence that runs along Broad Street, cut and removed foliage, documented the graves, and mowed the grounds.
The Prairie View Cemetery is also home to the graves of approximately 30 war veterans. One volunteer bought any available United States flags from local retailers and began placing them with the help of Forney City Councilman Ray Stephens who taught the volunteers how to properly place a flag on a veteran's grave.
“We don't control the environment in public schools,” said Pearce. “We hope to create a movement in Forney that will shift kids to make an effort.”
Impact Change is taking it one step further by educating students on global events that affect people's attitude and create adult bullying through violence and war. Globally recognized awareness group Invisible Children will be speaking to students at Warren Middle School on Thursday, November 21, 2013.
For more information on Impact Change, visit their website or Facebook Page.
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“If the kids get involved, the parents will get involved,” said Pearce. “I think it is up to the kids to change the adults. This cemetery project is just the beginning.”
Impact Change provided a place, a project, and a way to serve. From there, the students began organizing volunteer groups. The movement quickly spread like wildfire and, on Saturday morning, not only did Warren Middle School students, parents, and faculty members show up to work at the cemetery, students and community members from all over Forney came prepared to serve.
The cemetery, which is home to nearly 500 graves, is currently being cared for by one man – 28-year Army veteran L.C. Randolph of Forney, Texas. Randolph took over as the sole caretaker of the cemetery after the previous caretaker was unable to keep up with the maintenance due to age. “It's a great thing for the community to come out like this,” said Randolph, a Forney Booker T. Washington graduate. “I couldn't be more proud of Forney, it's well appreciated.” Randolph grew up in Forney, graduated from Booker T. Washington school, enlisted in the Army where he served 28 years, and then moved to Dallas for several years before returning to his hometown of Forney, Texas.
The condition of the cemetery has been very poor for more than a couple decades and usually only cared for by volunteers who dedicate years of their lives preserving a corner stone of Forney's history.
Warren Middle School Assistant Principal Robyn Grossnicklaus said after the restoration project they hope to file paperwork to declare the cemetery a Texas Historical Landmark which could provide resources to help with the cemetery's maintenance.
Approximately half the graves at Prairie View Cemetery are unmarked, some covered in foliage, and some headstones were even underground. Volunteers worked to find the unmarked graves and placed old bricks found at the cemetery to mark the grave sites. Volunteers also used rods to find buried headstones and dug them up and repositioned them at the head of the grave.
Volunteers also repainted the fence that runs along Broad Street, cut and removed foliage, documented the graves, and mowed the grounds.
The Prairie View Cemetery is also home to the graves of approximately 30 war veterans. One volunteer bought any available United States flags from local retailers and began placing them with the help of Forney City Councilman Ray Stephens who taught the volunteers how to properly place a flag on a veteran's grave.
“We don't control the environment in public schools,” said Pearce. “We hope to create a movement in Forney that will shift kids to make an effort.”
Impact Change is taking it one step further by educating students on global events that affect people's attitude and create adult bullying through violence and war. Globally recognized awareness group Invisible Children will be speaking to students at Warren Middle School on Thursday, November 21, 2013.
For more information on Impact Change, visit their website or Facebook Page.
