Story by Georgiana Francisco, Christina Leslie
and EmmaLee Italia, Correspondents

Each year, on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is observed as a “day on, not a day off,” as passed by the U.S. Congress in 1994.

In schools and communities across the Diocese of Trenton, the spirit of service was made visible as they responded joyfully to Dr. King’s legacy of outreach.

Ecumenical Efforts

Moorestown rose to the challenge on Jan. 21, as a number of denominational churches and schools participated in the Day of Service through the town’s Ministerium.

Dr. Linda Dix, religious education director in Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, said the projects for the Day of Service arise out of the needs of the different charities.

“Today was an ecumenical day of service,” she said. “We sent a large donation of food to the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Moorestown. Trinity Church made birthday boxes containing cake mix and other products for Catholic Charities for those who can’t afford a birthday party. And at Catholic Heritage House, we have 32 little ones and 22 older children from our religious education program making gift bags of toiletries and soap boxes for St. Vincent de Paul, as well as beaded bracelets for cancer patients at Lourdes.”

Dix said the ideas for the projects stem from the needs of the different charities, such as St. Vincent de Paul, where food is always needed.

“This is always such a great day for all of the kids who participate,” said Katie Barlow, a sophomore at Bishop Eustace Preparatory High School, Cherry Hill.  A longtime OLGC parishioner and religious education student, Barlow has returned annually to help with the effort.

“It’s something I enjoy doing … when we let [people] know that help is available through the church and the various volunteer work we do,” Barlow said.

Julia McGraw, a parent volunteer who came to Heritage House from Trinity Episcopal with her pre-school-aged children to make birthday boxes, said,  “They wanted to volunteer, so I came along to help both at Trinity and here at Heritage House. This morning, they spoke about Dr. King and what he accomplished in his life, and why today is called Service Day. The older kids understand the connection and carry that story to the younger ones.”

Father Jack Bogacz, parochial vicar in Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, was on hand to encourage the children.

“This is a great opportunity to show our ministerium at work,” he said. “We have different churches working together in Moorestown. There is a great need to serve others, and the kids are having a great time helping out. Our religious education program is a big part of what we do here.

“Today is also a great opportunity for children to learn more about Martin Luther King, why we celebrate his life, and to understand that service can be and will be an important part of their lives in the years to come,” Father Bogacz continued.

Many children rotated from project to project so that they all could take part in some of the arts and crafts. When all projects were packed up and ready to be distributed, the children were treated to ice cream sundaes to celebrate a job well done.

Food and Warmth

The parish community of St. Mary of the Lakes, Medford, put Dr. King’s message of love into action Jan. 21 as they benefited area poor during the third annual Martin Luther King Meals Marathon & Outreach Day. More than 200 volunteers of all ages from the Burlington County parish and surrounding area banded together to make bag meals and fleece blankets to distribute local shelters.

“We had high school teens, Confirmation students, parents with young children, older parishioners, Knights of Columbus and their wives – a broad spectrum of people,” said Linda Xerri, parish youth minister. “People gravitate toward it, and it was a great intergenerational service experience.” 

Members of the parish’s youth ministry YES (Youth Energized in the Spirit) readied the school’s auditorium and numbered among the helping hands, which assembled 2,050 bag lunches of a bologna-and-cheese-on-wheat sandwich, fruit, snack and drink. Each bag was decorated with a tag, reading “‘Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 1:28.’ Made with love and prayers from St. Mary of the Lakes Church.”

The local ShopRite donated the fruit and sold the lunchmeat to the parish at a discount; funds were raised at a second Christmastime Mass collection with the support of Father Daniel Swift, St. Mary of the Lakes pastor. Remaining funds were used to purchase yards of fleece to construct warm blankets for shelter residents.

Volunteers distributed the bagged lunches and blankets to area shelters and soup kitchens in Burlington and Camden counties, Trenton and Philadelphia.

“Young people respond to Corporal Acts of Mercy that make a connection to the Bible and engage their hearts,” Xerri said. “It is what Christ is asking us to do as Catholics and Christians. It is very important to know the Scriptures, but also to know the meaning behind them. They are being the face of Christ to someone else. Perhaps this is the only face of God these people see. It is the most valuable lesson we can teach.”

College Collaboration

In its inaugural Servant Leadership Summit Jan. 18, the first in an event series tied to the national observance of MLK Day of Service, college students from across the state convened at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, to be inspired and respond with service.

Addressing a crowd of about 90 students in GCU’s Casino Auditorium, author, scholar and keynote speaker Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams spoke of the importance of intersectional identity.

“Our analytical framework of the servant leadership model must be even more intersectional if we are truly to understand not only the problems, but also dare, I say the solutions,” said the associate professor of women’s and gender studies at New Jersey City University. “We have to see ourselves before we can see others … Having a voice as loving as Christ had is our collective challenge. Servant leaders, it is your time to rise up.”

Ellis-Williams called students’ attention to the way students view and experience others.

“We must be able to see others in their fullness. Intersectional identity changes the conversation,” she continued. “Community is not blood ties, but it is the family we create… We are servant leaders to one another because we see ourselves through one another.”

Students participated in a variety of service projects, which included writing cards for children in Children’s Specialized Hospital; making sandwiches for the Saturday Soup Kitchen in Asbury Park; compiling bags of necessities for the homeless through the Blessing Bag Brigade, and making stuffed animals for Teddy Bears for Tykes, a service project with the Lakewood police department. Other community service projects benefited Catholic Charities Providence House, Habitat for Humanity, Leaderworx, The Joy of Sox and many more.

GCU sophomore Brianna Griffin of Matawan assisted at the Providence House table, helping cut out Christmas gift tags for items that would be sold or gifted through the organization. She was excited for the opportunity to serve and participate in future events at GCU and other campuses.

“I thought it was amazing; it definitely taught me a lot about servant leadership – which I already do, but I didn’t know that’s what it was called.” Griffin said.

“Growing up, I was always told, ‘you give what you get.’ I hope to be an educator someday and give back all the time to my future students.”