Once again our community came together in extraordinary ways in the spirit of service to our neighbors for the 4th annual MLK Day of Service at West Windsor Arts.
To create this “day on, not a day off,” West Windsor Arts partnered with the African American Parent Support Group (AAPSG) and the WW-P youth chapter of the NAACP to follow the example set by Dr. King to contribute positively to our community through our service. Additional volunteers came from Novo Nordisk and the West Windsor Police Department.
The 4th annual MLK Day of Service was once again adapted to adhere to COVID safety guidelines. We invited participants to sign up for one or more service projects to complete in advance. Completed projects were then delivered to the West Windsor Arts Center on MLK Day, Monday, January 17th.
We connected with 6 different service agencies (the most organizations to date) to find out what needs the people who use their services had. Each one had a different request.
For RISE Community Services, who assists local families and individuals in recovering from setbacks and achieving their full potential, it was to create “Healthy Bedtime Kits” for children ranging in age from 2 – 13 years. A total of 84 bedtime kits were donated!
For the Children’s Home Society of NJ (CHSofNJ), whose mission is to find loving families for children, to protect children from harm, and to help parents find better ways to be parents so they can keep their children, it was to create “Handmade Warmth” in the form of crocheted and knitted hats, scarves, and mittens. A total of 17 handmade items were donated!
For PEI Kids, who serves the Greater Mercer County community with the mission of promoting and maintaining a safe environment for all children, it was to create a “Young Man’s Personal Care Kit.” A total of 30 young man’s kits were donated!
For Womanspace, a leading nonprofit agency in Mercer County, New Jersey, that provides a comprehensive array of services to individuals and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence and dedicated to improving the quality of life for adults and their families, we asked for “Mom’s Personal Care Kits.” A total of 30 kits for moms were donated!
For Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), whose mission is to feed those who are hungry in the Trenton area and offer programs to encourage self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life, the project was “Personal First-Aid Kits.” A total of 39 kits were donated!
For the Millhill Child and Family Development, who empowers children and families through individualized and culturally-sensitive educational and behavioral health services, we created “Basics for Babies” kits for ages birth through 12 months. A total of 28 kits were donated!
The total number of projects that were donated to our neighbors in need was 228! Each one was lovingly packaged with gift bags, labels, and notes of encouragement. We thank each and every person who helped with the day’s success. We could not have done it without you!
