Kids & Family

Local Students Participate in Youth & Government Day of Service

The Day of Service was held on Dec. 21, 2013.

Written by Carter Coudriet
Editor-in-Chief of New Jersey Youth & Government Press Corps

Months of planning culminated into the New Jersey Youth & Government Program’s third and final Day of Service of 2013. An effort to engage high school students in their communities, the Day of Service component of the YMCA program recruited teenagers to assist community organizations around New Jersey, including the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside.

“We are really happy with the turnout for the Day of Service, despite Mother Nature’s interference,” said Flemington resident Hannah Corn, who organized the last two Days of Service. “A lot of people pulled through. Over 65 people came out to serve this great state of New Jersey.”

Originally scheduled for December 14 but rescheduled due to Winter Storm Electra, the Day of Service took place on Saturday, December 21 and was attended by middle school students, high school students, and parents. 

"It's amazing to see all the hard work that everyone puts into the Day of Service come to fruition, but it's even more incredible to see people from all over the state coming together to make a difference," said Cranford participant, Maria Schwartz. "For this Day of Service, there were middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students, adults, delegates and non delegates all working side by side to help New Jersey". 

Schwartz explained that students from Cranford and Westfield participated in the day, as well as additional students throughout the county and state.

Volunteers participated in a variety of community-based activities, such as preparing for dinner at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen in Red Bank.

“Serving the community was a fun experience that I would enjoy doing again,” said Jashanveer Johal, of Edison, who worked at the Soul Kitchen.

“Hard work never felt so nice,” Johal said.


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