Many parents have experience making their fair share of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but since last fall, Marlton resident Mary Beth Iannarella has played a part in making several thousand.
Iannarella runs the Marlton chapter of Girl Talk, a peer-mentoring program for middle school- and high school-aged girls.
As one of the group’s many service projects, it has recently been bringing people together every month to make hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for those in need.
With peanut butter spread on both pieces of bread to help with preservation, the sandwiches are packed into paper bags decorated by local students, and with the help of the Unforgotten Haven charity in Blackwood, the sandwiches eventually make their way to an elementary school in Camden.
Although many students at the school qualify for free lunches during the school week, the sandwiches are given to students before the weekend to ensure they have something to eat during that time as well.
Iannarella said the project originally started at her home with just the members of her Girl Talk group, but not long after, it became apparent she’d need to find a bigger venue since so many others wanted to help.
“There are a bunch of my girls, and their moms come, their brothers come, neighbors come — people who have nothing to do with Girl Talk just come because they saw it and wanted to help,” Iannarella said.
Now at the Marlton Elks Club, Iannarella said the group meets once a month with its rubber gloves and knives and gets to work. Iannarella said the group tries to make at least 300 sandwiches for the school in Camden, but depending on how many people show up, that number has reached as many as 400 or 500, with the remaining sandwiches distributed to the homeless.
“Some people sign up to bring stuff, some people just drop stuff off at my house … some people come every month, and some people I’ve never seen before,” Iannarella said.
According to Iannarella, the sandwich-making events are just another way the girls in her Girl Talk group can learn important life lessons and give back to their community.
As a national organization, Girl Talk chapters have been established in nearly all 50 states and have reached more than 40,000 girls.
Iannarella said her chapter has grown bigger than she ever imagined from the time she started it nearly two years ago, with more than 70 girls on her roster and more than 40 whom she described as very active.
“It’s been awesome. I’ve promoted it on social media, but that’s probably it,” Iannarella said. “I haven’t really approached schools. People are just coming by word of mouth.”
With students in grades five to 12, Girl Talk provides an opportunity for girls in high school to mentor girls in middle school through community service projects and social events. As the girls get to know each other and participate in activities together, they eventually become good friends.
“There’s still really not a lot for that middle school girl age group, and that’s when there’s so many decisions being made to steer them in different directions,” Iannarella said. “I think that they need so much help and direction, and they look to the older kids, but I want them looking to the right older kids.”
Iannarella said the older girls also benefit from the group by building their self-esteem and growing their leadership skills.
With the two age groups working together and so close in age, Iannarella said they form a different kind of connection than they would with an adult.
“It’s more of an intimate level, so if they have any questions, they feel more comfortable going to their leader of their group,” Iannarella said.
For more information on how to help with the sandwich-making events, or about the Marlton chapter of Girl Talk, visit www.girltalkmarlton.org.
