Volunteers transform courtyard at Fairhaven School

Dozens of volunteers recently joined forces to give the courtyard at Fairhaven School in Mundelein a much needed facelift.

About 30 volunteers weeded, installed landscape fabric, trimmed trees and spread mulch over the entire area, which for years has been the problem spot at the school, according to Principal Tanya Fergus.

The daunting task was too big to tackle without help, which is where The Chapel entered the picture. Jeff Nagel, domestic missions leader at the Mundelein Chapel, contacted Fergus several week ago to determine if there were any outstanding projects at the school that needed attention.

Nagel said the goal of the Domestic Missions ministry is to serve the people of the community by helping those in need with yard cleanup, basic home repair, moving or other matters.

The ministry also supports local schools by providing backpacks and supplies for children in need, as well as special projects, as was done at Fairhaven.

Nagel said Fergus told him and the Rev. Thomas McArthur about the need in the courtyard and playground areas. Several volunteers stepped forward, including parents of children attending Fairhaven, and worked for about four hours on a recent Saturday.

The courtyard was transformed. Volunteers also mulched the entire playground and provided 15 fully stocked backpacks for students in need, Fergus said.

“The students and teachers at Fairhaven will forever be grateful for the generous labor and hard work that went in to making our school beautiful. The courtyard will finally be used for story times, buddy reading, and special teacher/student lunches,” she added.