Liz Barrett and Nicole McGroartyare striving to create a sanctuary for children who are eager to give back to the community.
Liz Barrett and Nicole McGroartyare striving to create a sanctuary for children who are eager to give back to the community in the form of the Community Service Youth Committee at Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School.
“It’s hard to find organizations or anything that allow kids to get hands-on experience,” Barrett said.
Barrett remembers her passion for volunteerism began at age 12. After being punished for the summer, Barrett’s father sent her on a trip to Kentucky to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity. The week-long trip allowed her passion for helping others to grow, inspiring her to create the group.
As PTA president at Elizabeth Haddon, Barrett has always been actively involved in the school and community. She hopes this committee will help foster a “giving” nature in children from a young age and organize safe, child-friendly hands-on activities, primarily for children ages 6 through 10. Some of the activities she hopes to include would be cleaning up a park, helping at animal shelters and other various, safe community service projects.
“We are ready to just go and get the word out,” Barrett said.
Although the location is undetermined, the duo is working to place a pop-up library the weekend of June 1 and encourages parents to invite their kids to help paint signs and donate some of the books they no longer read in preparation.
Echoing Barrett’s thoughts, McGroarty believes the group will help instill even more gratitude in the town’s youth. McGroarty hopes it will help teach kids to work for the things they want and give back without expecting anything in return.
“This community is blessed in so many ways and all too often kids don’t realize how lucky they are,” McGroarty said. “We are hoping that this committee will start to open our children’s eyes and allow them to participate in positive change that they can personally be a part of by their actions.”
McGroarty believes the the committee will not only help kids in the community but even help parents incorporate more charitable acts into their children’s day-to-day life.
“I believe change starts from your home. If parents show their children how their personal actions can affect others, it will transcend through all that their children do, including how they treat each other,” McGroarty explained.
Both Barrett and McGroarty encourage others in the community to share ideas on what activities can be done in and around Haddonfield that are suitable for a younger demographic. Parents who are interested in getting their child involved or in brainstorming ideas with the group can contact Barrett at lizbarrett11@yahoo.com.
“This committee is in the infancy stages,” McGroarty said. “We are hoping that others are interested enough to get involved and help us make this a successful campaign for our children.”
