The Class of 2023 embarked on five service trips during a two-week span in late May and early June at various locations across New Jersey. Nicole Nolan, Director of Global Scholars and Community Outreach, coordinated the senior community engagement days and is grateful for the support of the Upper School faculty chaperones who assisted the students.
Groups of seniors went to El Centro Hispanoamericano with Mrs. Nolan, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey with Mr. Don Kluizenaar and Ms. Maggie Reiter, Watchung Reservation with Mr. Cristian Fernandez and Mr. Andrew Sullivan, Habitat for Humanity with Mrs. Nolan and Ms. Ann Pengue, and Medshare with Mrs. Nolan.
At Hispanoamericano, students distributed food and other material goods to families in need from the Plainfield community. They also delivered the diapers and wipes collected by the LA Hispanic Latinx Alliance as part of its diaper drive in May. At the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, students organized and repackaged food donations for distribution around the state. They also delivered the feminine products collected by LA members of the Community Food Bank Teen Leadership Council.
Later in May, at the Watchung Reservation Park Cleanup in Mountainside, students worked to clean the park and clear trails and debris as the park prepares for the summer season. At Habitat for Humanity’s Summit location, the students worked at the site of a future home for 12 families, completing tasks such as painting, laying flooring, hanging doors, trim work, finishing, landscaping, and cleaning.
At Medshare in Secaucus, students began a new LA venture. Medshare works to collect donated medical supplies and organizes them for shipment to communities in need across the globe. Seniors organized and repackaged supplies donated from across New Jersey for distribution.