On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill, establishing the third Monday in January as a national day of service for years to come. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) signifies an important time for communities to come together to honor, commemorate, and remember King’s courageous contributions toward the Civil Rights Movement. On Monday, Jan 19, Cherry Hill High School East students went the extra mile to show that MLK Day is not just a day off from school, but rather a time to give back to the community.
The Interact Club and East DECA are two programs that provide accessible community service opportunities year-round for students.
“Students should be able to get out and serve their community, and Interact Club provides an easy way to contribute…all they need to do is show up and be ready to give back to their community,” said Melanie Pedersen (‘27), President of Interact Club.
Every year, the Interact Club partners with Congregation Beth El to give East students a place to volunteer close to home. There are numerous community service activities, including making cheese sandwiches for Cathedral Kitchen, fleece blankets for Project Linus, and dog toys for the Voorhees Animal Orphanage (VAO). Students are able to apply their creativity into meaningful and enjoyable projects that leave a direct impact on the community.
“I volunteer at Beth El every year with my family. It’s so nice and refreshing to see the whole community come together, and I definitely feel like we’re making a difference,” said Talia Miller (‘27), a member of Congregation Beth El.
Additionally, with the help of East DECA Advisor Ms. Leanne Shine, Cary Bloom (‘26), Captain of Community Outreach, connected with BookSmiles, a non-profit organization in Pennsauken Township.
Since 2017, BookSmiles has been devoted to breathing new life into used books in support of childhood literacy. This year, around 20 volunteers from East DECA sorted 3,000 books to support educators and distribute them to children in need.
“It feels great to give back to the community by partnering with BookSmiles, and even better to get the East community involved,” Bloom said.
At its core, every year when MLK Day rolls around, people come together to honor King’s resilience and tenacity by performing their civic responsibilities. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. paved the way for America through his “I Have a Dream” speech, showing people of all different backgrounds what simple humanity and goodness of heart can achieve within the human race. Today, volunteering has never looked so easy. Through the Interact Club and East DECA, students are provided with all of the resources they need to get out and help the community, keeping Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive several years later.
