SALT LAKE CITY — Kids at Meadowlark Elementary got a Christmas surprise a few hours before the start of holiday break.

The doors crashed open to reveal their library makeover.

“Woohoo, let’s go in!” shouted excited students.

They marveled at the new books, paint and furniture. It was such a contrast to their old library.

“It was a pretty barren place,” said principal Heidi Greene. “Our walls were maybe three pastel colors. The books were tattered and worn.”

KSL’s Read Today and High Five teams partnered with the Deseret News to provide a much needed update.

Employees from America First Credit Union helped paint bright colors on the walls.

Element Capital helped donate new tables and comfortable furniture. Read Today donated money for books.

The makeover made their library much more inviting.

Read More…

Nomination letter sent in by Judy Jefferies:

Aaron is our mailman. He is the most compassionate person that I have ever met. He serves numerous people on our street and the surrounding area. Many that he serves are older. My husband and I are over 70. I have severe back problems and he is disables and permanently in a wheelchair. If our garbage can looks full on Monday when he delivers our mail, Aaron takes it out to the street. When it is emptied the next day, if I have not brought it back in by the time he comes he brings it in. My next door neighbor is in a wheelchair and lives alone. Leaving her home is very difficult. She cannot take her small sacks of garbage out without pain. She will tie up a small grocery sack with garbage in it and set it outside her door so she can take it out to the can when she must leave the house for some other reason. When she finally leave the house the sack is gone because Aaron has come to deliver the mail and has put her garbage in the can already.

I personally know at least five or six other people living in the surrounding streets on Aaron’s route and he does these small but really special things for them too. He knows who lives in the houses where he takes mail and he knows those who have problems and is always looking for ways to ease their burdens. If anyone deserves a High 5 it is him.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source

Nomination letter sent in by Felicia McClure:

I would like to nominate Karl Winsness for a High 5 award, because Karl has started a scholarship for children who have parents that are incarcerated, or who are habitually incarcerated.

The scholarship has been mostly funded by Karl himself, he reaches out to get donations, but usually doesn’t have much luck.

Karl says children are the forgotten victims of crime. When their parents get locked up who do they have, usually no one. And they end up following in the same foot steps as their parents. This scholarship gives children the chance to do something different.

It is not based on grades, the children write an essay on how their parents have affected them and submit the essay.

The Community Foundation of Utah handles all the money for the scholarship.

He has been doing this for over three years and has awarded at least two scholarships, I believe each year. ( I’m not exactly sure how many he has awarded)

Karl is an ex-convict himself and while incarcerated he decided to do something to help when he got out. This is how Willy the Plumber Scholarship was created.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source

Nomination letter sent in by Joni Clark:

Hayden Seeley is the Director of Food Services for Salt Lake Community Action Program (SLCAP) and Head Start. In just under one year, he has helped to merge SLCAP and Head Start into one agency and single handedly run a fully functioning kitchen that serves over 4,000 hot, fresh and nutritious meals to 32 different Head Start locations across Salt Lake and Tooele County. Hayden is extremely dedicated and loves his work with low-income children and their families.

He is deeply concerned about how our children in our community are being fed, what they are eating and how that impacts their education, growth and learning. Hayden also oversees five food pantries across the valley which each serve nearly 400 individuals per day and about six million pounds of food each year to our community.

During the summer months when school is not in session, Hayden also runs the Summer Food Service Program at five locations across the valley. This program feeds children under eighteen free of charge for both lunch and dinner and their parents at a small cost. This ensures that the children are still getting a healthy and nutritious meal even when school is not in session. Overall, Hayden is extremely dedicated to our community and ensuring that our children are being well fed and taken care of each day. He has such a passion and commitment to his job and his community that is extremely commendable. He deserves to be recognized for his selflessness that he gives to others.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source

Nomination letter sent in by Michelle Berg:

High five to our crossing guard who brings her own shovel to clear the path for the kids! On the corner of 12300 S. and Redwood Road in Riverton.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source

Nomination letter sent in by Julie Denson:

Dave Schildknecht is the best janitor an elementary school could ever have. He keeps our walks clear, the lunch room clean, the school clean and does it all with a big happy smile on his face. He brings such a positive, happy light to our school every day. He is kind to the kids and helps them in every way that he can. He is kind and considerate to all he works with. I think sometimes janitors don’t get the credit they deserve with all they have to deal with so that is why I nominated Dave Schildknecht for a High 5.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source

Nomination sent in by Shane Constable:

I roller skate. A lot. I recently found a rink in Sandy that every weekend honors this man. I have a video that will make you cry. This roller rink deserves a medal of something. The DJ and the management and the patrons are so amazing. Every Saturday night he becomes a disco Bee Gees rollerblading dance John Travolta star. Just watch my video.

This Segment is Sponsored By: America First Credit Union

Source