A popular religious camp near Hearne is always looking for volunteers, and Monday, Messiah's Ranch got a big helping hand from some FFA students.

News 3 explored how the students are contributing to their community.

Buses are lined up where over one hundred high school students from surrounding counties are spending the day providing services of all kinds at Messiah's Ranch.

Art Free is an Agricultural and Science Teacher, Rockdale High School.

"I always tell them in class, I said when you eat an elephant you gotta eat it one bite at a time and just do one step at a time and it works out real good," said Art Free.

Most days students are at school but these FFA students are landscaping and putting up fences.

For 13 years FFA members have met at the ranch to have their annual retreats. And for the second year they are completing service projects to beautify the ranch.

"They will do a months worth of work in a few hours, things that will take me so long they can do like this," said John Hyde, Camp Director of Messiah's Ranch.

FFA has grown to mean more than that.

It signifies opportunity.

"I want to go to college to be an ag teacher so its a good way to see what the ag(riculture) teachers do but its also a good way to put what I've learned in the classroom back out here," Erin Art, a junior at Rockdale High School.

Everyone here agrees that today is a day of giving back.

"People think it's all about themselves but were trying to show kids is that when you give to others there's tremendous value in that," said John Hyde.

Messiah's Ranch has been in business for more than 16 years and is open for retreats year round for all types of groups.