Mountain Park Students Lend Helping Hands To Benefit Community

The in Berkeley Heights participated in its first-ever, school-wide Community Service Day on Friday, April 13. Students took part in twelve different hands on volunteer activities to benefit a variety of charitable organizations, the school, and the local community.

The day began with an assembly featuring representatives from Bridges Outreach, Inc., The Food Bank of New Jersey-Kids Division, and The Cancer Stinks Children’s Foundation, which was started by 9-year-old Nicholas Tarabokia of Berkeley Heights. 

Mayor Bruno concluded the assembly by stressing the importance of giving back to your community.  Also in attendance were Superintendent Judith Rattner, Assistant Superintendent Patricia Qualshie, and Councilman Craig Pastore.

In the afternoon, the children worked in teams to: pack more than 200 breakfast and toiletry bags for area homeless people; categorize hundreds of donated books and assemble birthday party bags and school supply bags for the Food Bank’s Kids Division; assemble more than 100 craft bags for children undergoing treatment in Overlook Hospital and the Valerie Fund Children’s Center; make “Thank You for Your Service” cards and paint canvases to be hung in various Berkeley Heights Community Service offices; and repaint the school’s own playground games, including a new map of the United States.  

All supplies were donated by local businesses and parents. Local businesses included Mazza Landscaping, Edge Landscaping, , , , , , , Stop N Shop, BJ’s, , , L’Oreal, Unilever and .

In return for all of the school’s efforts to help others, Home Depot of Watchung donated truckloads of supplies and sent 20 of their own volunteers to help the kids perform a makeover the school’s courtyard. They worked alongside Mountain Park students to provide the school with an outdoor classroom, a kitchen garden, mulched flower beds and Adirondack chairs for reading.

“We are thankful for the support we received from parents, local businesses, and The Home Depot, and were amazed by the enthusiasm of our kids,” said Peggy House, PTO Community Service Day team member. “In the assembly, it was important to show them how their projects would help, which resulted in a great sense of pride and understanding when they completed them. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”