Shore Celebrates Community Service Day
On Saturday, April 18, nearly 300 Shore Country Day School volunteers including students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators joined together for Shore’s first annual United in Service day in Beverly and surrounding communities.
A partnership between the school and the North Shore United Way, the service event generated more than 800 hours of volunteer work on behalf of local organizations Beverly Bootstraps, the Beverly Children’s Learning Center, Beverly Hospital, Change is Simple, Family Promise, the Food Project at Long Hill Farm, Gloucester’s Backyard Growers, Meals on Wheels, Northeast Arc, Open Door and Acord food pantries, Plummer Home, River House Shelter, and Windrush Farm.
“It was a pleasure to find creative ways to get parents and kids of all ages serving together,” said North Shore United Way Project Manager Sarah Bartley, “and to see the impact of the service day improving the lives of their neighbors in so many different ways.”
Added Shore’s Director of Advancement Jody Johnson, “With Sarah’s help, our volunteer leaders – parents Whitney Savignano and Nina Wilson – were able to put together an energizing and productive day for all. The students had a great time, parents recognized this as worthwhile and fun, and the organizations were delighted with the practical help they received. I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish.”
Shore teacher and event co-organizer Doug Lucey said, “I had a blast with Northeast Arc families at Shore’s gym day on campus, and I was overwhelmed by the notion that similar experiences were taking place at the same time all over the North Shore: our families interacting with members of the larger community, working side-by-side to do good and have fun, and making connections which, for some, will last much longer than a day. We were lucky to have found such phenomenal partners in Sarah and the United Way.”
One United in Service beneficiary was literally a stone’s throw from Shore’s campus: Beverly Children’s Learning Center will soon move to a new location on Cabot Street across from the school. “Family volunteers generously donated their time to an afternoon of building garden boxes, planting seeds, and creating garden signs for the outdoor space in our new home,” said Lisa King, Director of Education & Children’s Services.
Farther afield at The Open Door pantry in Gloucester, Shore students and parents worked in the warehouse to sort incoming donations, and then staffed the kitchen to prepare and serve the evening community meal. Open Door Volunteer Coordinator Beth Klinefelter reminded, “In our state, one in four working families still struggles to meet all of their own basic needs, and many rely on pantries to put enough food on the table. Interacting over dinner was a rewarding and eye-opening experience for the volunteers and guests alike.”
In Salem, Shore volunteers helped get the large garden in shape at the Plummer Home, for boys ages 13-18. “The Home has its own vegetable garden,” said Volunteer Coordinator Candice McLaughlin, “where the boys take responsibility for growing and harvesting a considerable amount of our own food. The volunteer families did a wonderful job getting us ready for spring.”
And back home, in Shore’s own Dining Hall, a large group of the youngest volunteers helped create hundreds of “get well” and “happy spring” cards for patients at Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital. “The students were thrilled that their work could brighten our patients’ day; the amount of creativity and care they put into the cards was amazing to see,” admitted Jane Karaman, Manager of Volunteer Services at Beverly Hospital.
Other service projects yielded 17 full grocery bags from Crosby’s Market in Manchester for Beverly Bootstraps; 225 toiletries kits assembled for local shelters; 150 Meals on Wheels baskets prepared for vulnerable local seniors; nearly 200 pounds of trash and recyclables collected on the Salem-Beverly Bridge and Cabot Street; and, proudly noted event co-organizer Lucey, “zero pounds of waste from the on-campus picnic lunch for participants.”
Added Lucey, “With the success of this inaugural service day, we’re already working with the United Way on the planning for next year’s event.” Shore’s second United in Service day will be held in the fall.
The North Shore United Way invests almost $1M each year in local causes to transform lives and improve communities now and for future generations. NSUW rigorously vets and supports dozens of programs that serve children, families, and seniors in eight North Shore communities. More about funded programs at nsuw.org. To find a volunteer opportunity on the North Shore visit volunteer.nsuw.org.
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A partnership between the school and the North Shore United Way, the service event generated more than 800 hours of volunteer work on behalf of local organizations Beverly Bootstraps, the Beverly Children’s Learning Center, Beverly Hospital, Change is Simple, Family Promise, the Food Project at Long Hill Farm, Gloucester’s Backyard Growers, Meals on Wheels, Northeast Arc, Open Door and Acord food pantries, Plummer Home, River House Shelter, and Windrush Farm.
“It was a pleasure to find creative ways to get parents and kids of all ages serving together,” said North Shore United Way Project Manager Sarah Bartley, “and to see the impact of the service day improving the lives of their neighbors in so many different ways.”
Added Shore’s Director of Advancement Jody Johnson, “With Sarah’s help, our volunteer leaders – parents Whitney Savignano and Nina Wilson – were able to put together an energizing and productive day for all. The students had a great time, parents recognized this as worthwhile and fun, and the organizations were delighted with the practical help they received. I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish.”
Shore teacher and event co-organizer Doug Lucey said, “I had a blast with Northeast Arc families at Shore’s gym day on campus, and I was overwhelmed by the notion that similar experiences were taking place at the same time all over the North Shore: our families interacting with members of the larger community, working side-by-side to do good and have fun, and making connections which, for some, will last much longer than a day. We were lucky to have found such phenomenal partners in Sarah and the United Way.”
One United in Service beneficiary was literally a stone’s throw from Shore’s campus: Beverly Children’s Learning Center will soon move to a new location on Cabot Street across from the school. “Family volunteers generously donated their time to an afternoon of building garden boxes, planting seeds, and creating garden signs for the outdoor space in our new home,” said Lisa King, Director of Education & Children’s Services.
Farther afield at The Open Door pantry in Gloucester, Shore students and parents worked in the warehouse to sort incoming donations, and then staffed the kitchen to prepare and serve the evening community meal. Open Door Volunteer Coordinator Beth Klinefelter reminded, “In our state, one in four working families still struggles to meet all of their own basic needs, and many rely on pantries to put enough food on the table. Interacting over dinner was a rewarding and eye-opening experience for the volunteers and guests alike.”
In Salem, Shore volunteers helped get the large garden in shape at the Plummer Home, for boys ages 13-18. “The Home has its own vegetable garden,” said Volunteer Coordinator Candice McLaughlin, “where the boys take responsibility for growing and harvesting a considerable amount of our own food. The volunteer families did a wonderful job getting us ready for spring.”
And back home, in Shore’s own Dining Hall, a large group of the youngest volunteers helped create hundreds of “get well” and “happy spring” cards for patients at Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital. “The students were thrilled that their work could brighten our patients’ day; the amount of creativity and care they put into the cards was amazing to see,” admitted Jane Karaman, Manager of Volunteer Services at Beverly Hospital.
Other service projects yielded 17 full grocery bags from Crosby’s Market in Manchester for Beverly Bootstraps; 225 toiletries kits assembled for local shelters; 150 Meals on Wheels baskets prepared for vulnerable local seniors; nearly 200 pounds of trash and recyclables collected on the Salem-Beverly Bridge and Cabot Street; and, proudly noted event co-organizer Lucey, “zero pounds of waste from the on-campus picnic lunch for participants.”
Added Lucey, “With the success of this inaugural service day, we’re already working with the United Way on the planning for next year’s event.” Shore’s second United in Service day will be held in the fall.
The North Shore United Way invests almost $1M each year in local causes to transform lives and improve communities now and for future generations. NSUW rigorously vets and supports dozens of programs that serve children, families, and seniors in eight North Shore communities. More about funded programs at nsuw.org. To find a volunteer opportunity on the North Shore visit volunteer.nsuw.org.
Associated Media
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United in Service co-chairs
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.