Rio Rancho High Students Restore Homes, Support Vulnerable Neighbors
On November 24, Rio Rancho High School students joined volunteer crews for the 17th annual Big Event, spending a Saturday on home and neighborhood projects to help seniors, disabled residents, and homeowners who requested assistance. The effort provided hands on repairs and yard work, strengthened community ties, and highlighted local needs that intersect with public health and social equity.
Hundreds of Rio Rancho High students left campus on November 24 to take part in the 17th annual Big Event, a school organized community service day that brought volunteers into neighborhoods across Sandoval County. Student crews completed home repairs, cleanup, and yard projects for seniors, residents with disabilities, and homeowners who had requested help, with local partners and school staff coordinating assignments and supplying materials for volunteers. Local reporting by the Rio Rancho Observer noted strong turnout and emphasized the visible, hands on impact of the weekend effort.
The program, now in its seventeenth year, serves as both a practical resource for residents with limited mobility or financial means and a civic education experience for students. Simple improvements to porches, walkways, and yards can reduce fall risks and other hazards that contribute to emergency room visits among older adults. For households managing disability related barriers, short term repairs and maintenance can make daily living safer and more dignified.
Organizers said the event depends on coordination between school staff, community groups, and residents who submit requests for help, illustrating a model of cross sector collaboration that stretches limited municipal resources. For Sandoval County, volunteer driven projects like the Big Event can complement formal public health and social services by addressing immediate housing related needs that affect health outcomes. However, sustainable impact requires predictable funding and institutional support to reach residents who may not know how to request assistance or who need more extensive repairs.
For students, the day offered experience in teamwork, problem solving, and community responsibility. For recipients, the work reduced immediate burdens and fostered connections across generations. As local leaders plan for future community needs, events such as the Big Event point to the value of investing in partnerships that pair youth civic engagement with supports for vulnerable residents. Continued attention from schools, health agencies, and county planners could amplify these benefits and address underlying inequities in housing and access to care.
