Periodically each quarter, Eighth Grade Teacher, Malena Schrauben, takes a group of Eighth Graders to Park Village Pines, an assisted living facility in Kalamazoo, MI.

Mrs. Schrauben’s father residing at Park Village Pines began this tradition. She said, “The staff took such wonderful care of him during his time there, and even though it was a short stay, they made a lasting impact on our family. After his passing, I wanted to stay connected, so I reached out to see how we could be involved.” 

When Park Village Pines expressed a need for Bingo volunteers, Mrs. Schrauben thought of her students. 

Mrs. Schrauben recognizes many of the Kalamazoo Christian families have connections to residents at Park Village Pines, and that her students have hearts for service. When they visit, the Eighth Graders play Bingo, converse and build relationships with the residents.

Regardless of if they are able to visit Park Village Pines, every Kalamazoo Christian Eighth Grader reaches the Park Village Pines residents in some way. At Christmas time, Mrs. Schrauben dropped off donations collected and Christmas cards for the residents.

She said, “We do this because it brings incredible joy to the residents and helps students understand that they can make a real impact, even as Eighth Graders. Time is one of the greatest gifts God gives us, and this experience allows us to share our time with others while both giving and receiving joy. It is a beautiful, meaningful interaction for everyone involved.”

Joyful service connects to the 2025-2026 school year theme of Stewardly Living, but it’s also a practice the teachers and staff at Kalamazoo Christian School aim to example regardless of the yearly theme. Creating opportunities for students to give back to their community is one way that Mrs. Schrauben exemplifies service.