By Cindy Adams

Providing shelter from a brutal winter or a scorching summer is kind, especially when it’s for a vulnerable animal, like a dog. And kindness came easily for students at Wytheville Minnick who were asked to paint doghouses to be given to families who could not afford one. There would be no compensation for their effort, but the students knew they had already been paid. Their hearts were fully engaged, and their ideas were creatively flowing before they ever picked up the first brush. 

Kindness was a given. It was the paint colors, trim, door emblems, and bedding types that were in question. But what they thought the dogs might like best…well, that was always their answer. Compassion guided their work. They were thrilled to be a part of what they called “a good cause.”  

"I like helping puppies with no home," said Kody, an 11th grader at Wytheville Minnick. "Now, they’ll have their own place. It makes me happy to make them happy." 

This collaboration between Wytheville Police Department, Animal Control and Lowe’s invited local high school students to build the doghouses before the Minnick students painted them. The project tackled a community issue in a positive way. 

"Our intent was to give people a solution (a doghouse), rather than a ticket for not sheltering their pet," said Wytheville Animal Control Officer Isaac Diamond. 

The project was one of several for Minnick’s Career and Technical Education class that has only existed for one year. So far, they have started a car wash business, visited a local barbershop, learned about the job search process, listened to guest speakers about harvesting your own food and built a storage shed for the school. This same shed was used to store the doghouses throughout the painting process. “It has been fun to watch them have fun,” said Darian Brown, Career and Technical Education Instructor. “They may argue at times, but when they are working on a project, they are best friends. They have shown me they have all the potential in the world.” 

Bill Sutherland, Wytheville Minnick’s principal, said this would be an ongoing project for the students and they intend to provide hands-on assistance at the shelter. He considers it an opportunity to develop job skills and get involved in the community. 

"It’s nice to help people or animals in need," said Noah, an 11th grader at Wytheville Minnick. "It makes me feel really good about myself."