Months of planning culminated in the New Jersey Youth & Government Program’s third and final Day of Service of last year.
An effort to engage 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 FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside and Sisterhood Inc. in Burlington.
“We are really happy with the turnout for the Day of Service, despite Mother Nature’s interference,” said 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 Dec. 14 and rescheduled due to a winter storm, the Day of Service took place Dec. 21 and was attended by middle school students, high school students and parents. Volunteers participated in a variety of community-based activities, including helping to prepare 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 Edison’s Jashanveer Johal, who helped out with the Soul Kitchen. “Hard work never felt so nice.”