Pair of HMHS teachers spearheading efforts to give back throughout Delaware Valley
Monday, Jan. 21, marks the 34th anniversary of the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Americans across the country could choose to observe the day by either staying home from school, or staying home from work.
However, King himself issued a challenge to do more than just observe, when he said, “Life’s persistent and most urgent question is ‘what are you doing for others?’”
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service — “a day on, not a day off.”
Two educators from Haddonfield Memorial High School, special education teacher Karen Albano and math teacher Christa Wesley, have joined together to provide students with ample opportunity to translate King’s words into action this year.
“When I get a chance to go out and help others, I often feel like I benefit from the experience just as much or more than they do. It’s easy to get busy and wrapped up in our own lives and our own problems, and a day like MLK Day of Service is a refreshing chance to get together with a group of peers and gain some perspective by doing good for other people,” Wesley said.
On the docket in 2019 are nine service opportunities that are estimated to accommodate up to 170 volunteers, located between Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore, from helping cheer up senior citizens to restoring nature to its intended beauty.
Students will play a part in helping improve Bancroft Jacob Schaefer Center with various painting projects; interact, paint nails and play games with the residents of Brandywine Senior Living; perform beach cleanup and bird count in Brigantine; visit residents of Collingswood Manor, playing bingo and other games, serving lunch and helping with clean up; pick up trash and spruce up the area on the walking path around Hopkins Pond; play with and walk greyhounds and organize supplies for dogs in Philadelphia, including donations of a box of dog treats; cleaning up Farnham Park in Camden; prepare, serve and clean up lunch for people staying at Ronald McDonald House; and assembling comfort kits for hospitalized teens for the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation.
Albano and Wesley are also making sure the public knows HMHS students are doing good in the region by urging all student participants to wear Haddonfield gear or school colors of red and black.
“Each year, I am floored by the tremendous response we get from the student body and community at Haddonfield when we roll out our MLK Day of Service projects. To see a couple hundred students wake up early and donate time on their day off of school to serve others is beautiful,” Wesley added.
“It’s such a good experience for all of us to take a break from the norm, get out of town, and interact with people from different communities. Our students don’t need outside motivation to take advantage of a valuable opportunity like MLK Day of Service. They have it within themselves to want to give back to others.”
Registration for the MLK Day of Service events was to have taken place from Jan. 15 through Jan. 17, via a link sent through the high school’s Twitter account.
