The group kicked of 2018 by packing lunches for Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, and there are more acts of kindness where that came from
The familiar fragrance of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches permeated the halls of Cinnaminson Middle School the afternoon of Jan. 16, but at the source of the smell — the cafeteria — no one was enjoying an after-school snack.
Instead, the members of the CMS Unity Club and its adult volunteers were hard at work packing lunches for Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, where more than 100,000 meals make their way into hungry bellies every year. Unity, Cinnaminson’s student service initiative, chose the kitchen to kick off its “very busy” 2018 club schedule, club supervisor Melissa DeClementi said.
Over the course of three sandwich-packing sessions, more than 50 students, CMS staff members and parents, armed with supplies collected from the Cinnaminson community, managed to put together close to 1,000 meals to deliver to the kitchen as this year’s first act of kindness. And while the community-conscience club aims to take care of Cinnaminson’s own, its members travel the extra mile to extend its service to the greater South Jersey region.
“There is no better feeling than the one you get from helping someone in need,” DeClementi said. “And as a teacher, there is no better feeling than watching a student experience that. This is why we do what we do!”
Alison Palat, a teacher at CMS and Unity supervisor, said she and DeClementi set out to also show students the process behind serving those in need. Rather than just hand off supplies and donations, the two teachers wanted to engage the pre-teens in activities that reveal where their donations go and how they impact community members. It was important to the two women to demonstrate “the poor” are a diverse set of individuals and not just a faceless demographic.
“We take them to the South Jersey Food Bank, and they actually get to learn what the food bank is and who it serves,” Palat added. “We volunteer there and try to make our way around the community.”
Starting with just a small group, Unity has grown to more than 200 student members looking to make a difference. Along with the meal packing days this January, Unity also returned to SJFB to deliver more than 350 boxes of cereal collected from CMS “Pajama Day,” where students who came to school with a donation were permitted to wear their sleep clothes. While at the food bank, the students toured the facility and volunteered in the warehouse packing meals and sorting donated items, according to DeClementi.
“It feels really good when we all come together to do this, it warms my heart,” eighth-grade student Carly Yeager said.
From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 7, Unity Club will host its 9th Annual Soup-er Supper for Cinnaminson’s senior citizens. NJN/NJEA’s Classroom Close-up will feature the club’s event that evening.
For more information on Unity’s activities, visit www.cinnaminson.com.
