CRANFORD, NJ — Eighth-grade students from Orange Avenue School dedicated a day in May to give back to local charities. Stations were set up throughout the school where students rotated to make sandwiches for the homeless, and shelter bags for transitional housing facilities, birthday bags filled with everything to make a birthday cake, they made cards for veterans and collected diapers and wipes for mothers in need.
In all, the day of service was able to assemble 400 shelter bags for Jersey Cares; make 500 sandwiches for St. Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth; 200 birthday bags with cake supplies, birthday cards and gift cards for Cranford Family Care and Jersey Cares; 35 boxes of diapers and wipes to Jewish Family Service; and 185 cards for Hugs for Soldiers.
OAS is thankful to the donations from Cranford families of almost $4,000, OAS PTA and the 8th Grade Committee, and for the deli meats donated by Lenny & Johns.
“Service is a value OAS wants to instill in the student body and the day was a great collaboration between parents, faculty and eighth-graders. It was uplifting for everyone to see the great impact everyone made as a community,” said Christina Bentrewicz, member of the OAS 8th Grade Committee and Day of Service.
During the day of service, students also learned how they can volunteer for local charities on their own time.
This is the third year OAS has supported local charities with a day of service. “Students made a difference in so many lives today,” said Robin Yablonski, member of the OAS 8th Grade Committee and Day of Service. “Our goal is to help meet the needs of people in New Jersey and also educate our students on how to volunteer in our community and beyond.”
Jersey Cares brings accessibility to volunteering. Students can create an account on their website and find a place nearby to volunteer the next day. Jersey Cares website is www.jerseycares.org. Students can also volunteer in the Food Pantry at Cranford Family Care on Myrtle Street.
Volunteering opportunities at St. Joseph’s include pantry bag assembly on the second Saturday and third Monday and Tuesday of each month; assist with food distribution Monday through Saturday, from 8:45 a.m. to noon, and Monday through Friday, from 1 to 4 p.m.; join with volunteers in the daily Bread Sandwich Program, and the Soup Kitchen each Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; as well as special holiday projects – Easter basket assembly, school backpack supplies, etc. – and sorting donations of food and / or clothing.
Within a 10 mile radius of Cranford there are 20 homeless shelters, and one in 10 New Jersey families experienced food insecurities in 2023.
“Our eighth-graders showed such great teamwork today making sandwiches, birthday bags and shelter bags. They left their in-service day with a groundwork to continue to make a positive change through volunteerism,” said Keren Segal, member of the Eighth Grade Committee and Day of Service.
Photos Courtesy of Christina Miskewitz