As ice hardened on the side of every road in town, and students basked in the glory of an extra day off, a few cars came rolling into the otherwise empty parking lot. A little snow? That’s not stopping these students from participating in Haven’s Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service.
On Monday, Jan. 19, students gathered at the high school bright and early before being sent to their respective locations to participate in varying service projects. The day’s events were organized primarily by assistant principal Mrs. Andrea LaPira, who founded the outing last year as a way to update previous programming hosted at the middle school.
This year, the event gained greater traction, resulting in a need for a total of three locations. Some students attended the ACCESS Center, and others helped out at City Team, both located in Chester. Others remained at Haven to make lunches and perfect their peanut butter and jelly craft.
At City Team, students sorted through and organized donated food and clothing items. Often, overflow of donations after the holidays means all hands on deck.
“People are starting to come in. They’re hungry. They haven’t had much provision over the past month, so they’re desperately in need,” Program Supervisor for Outreach Ministry at City Team Ben Talmage said. “We have so much clogging it up, so being able to actually do something like this allows us to effectively feed the masses.”
The City Team provides hot meals, fresh produce, shelter, and resources to families in the surrounding areas struggling with homelessness and poverty.
“It was a nice way to start my morning,” sophomore Ezra Peltzman said. “I saw some people going in and out of the building, and it was good to actually have contact with the people we were helping.”
Meanwhile, at the ACCESS Center, where Haven’s Interact Club makes frequent trips, students were put to work reorganizing the area of children’s toys, packing and handing out grocery bags, and spending time with visitors.
“We were able to play bingo with [visitors]. I was able to meet some new people, and it was just really beautiful,” Interact club co-president and senior Lexi Benzing said. “A lot of people were able to come out from Haven, and we were able to interact with them and give them all the food that we made.”
For many students, being able to speak with the people the organizations serve brought a new sense of purpose.
“I think that it’s going to be really rewarding to see the actual impact we’re giving to people who can’t necessarily go out and get their own groceries,” junior Sophie Grossman said.
With such a large turnout, continued interest would likely mean more projects to come.
“We want to do it as much as the students have interest, and it seems, if the last two years are evidence, that they want more and more opportunities to serve and give back,” principal Mr. Andrew Benzing said. “We’re happy to help facilitate that if we could.”
On a wintry day, the efforts of Strath Haven students brought warmth to the days of many community members.
“They provided lots of needs,” ACCESS Center site manager Sister Maggie Gannon said. “But most importantly, our guests left knowing that they were cared for.”
