Today, we spent the day helping out at the Paws Discovery Farm. We split up into groups and did a lot of different tasks throughout the area. Some of us cleaned the play area, while others helped make Easter eggs for their egg hunt, and some of us picked up trash around the farm....
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 4: Visiting Lutheran Crossings
Today was a day filled with a variety of activities at Lutheran Crossings in Moorestown. Everyone got to do something different to suit their own interests. We all got to interact with many different residents during our time there. Some highlights are: “Some of us danced the Cotton Eye Joe several times today for...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 3: The Neighborhood Center in Camden
We left for the Camden Neighborhood Center at 8:15 in the morning. Ms. Valerie, the volunteer coordinator there, was nice and gave us a tour of the Center. It was very large and contained lots of activities for children, adults, and seniors. After the tour, she assigned us different chores that we did (cleaning...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 2: Newton Lake Clean-Up
The day began with a short bus ride to Newton Lake where we were met by Michael and Phil of the South Jersey Land and Water Trust. They explained the history of the river and the importance of keeping the lake clean. We were then given trash grabbers with the task to clean up...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 1: Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge
Our day began as we boarded the bus to Woodford Cedar Run where we raked and collected leaves to clean up the trails around the animal enclosures. Although it was cold and windy, we were able to work as a team and clear out more land than we could imagine! We even got to...
Continue readingA Hidden Gem Discovered
Today South Jersey Service Learning took a trip to one of New Jersey’s hidden gems, Camden’s Children’s Garden. While there, the team met the enthusiastic staff who is ecstatic for their opening Saturday. The volunteers from MFS assisted with various tasks such as raking, collecting trash, and planting flowers throughout the garden. While working,...
Continue readingClean-Up and Water Quality Survey at Newton Lake
In Collingswood, NJ, South Jersey Service partnered with South Jersey Land and Water Trust (SJLWT) to pick up trash around Newton Lake. We collected beer bottles, takeout bags, wrappers, plastic, and more among the leaves and mud surrounding the lake. Afterwards, an organizer of the SJLWT collected water samples with macro-invertebrates to educate us...
Continue readingSJS Goes to The Pine Barrens!
Today we went to the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford. We started off the day by seeing some of the animals up close and going on a tour of the area. During the tour we learned about Cedar Run and what they do. Many animals that arrive at the hospital there are...
Continue readingA Day of South Jersey Service
Today our day started out with testing and making prototypes for Youth Engineering and Science (YES). YES travels around to different recreation centers in under-resourced neighborhoods of Philadelphia to bring children opportunities to experiment in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). We repaired carts to test safety features that can be...
Continue readingFirst Day of South Jersey Service a Double Header!
Students had the choice of volunteering at the United Methodist Community of Collingswood, or helping St. Mary’s Episcopal Church of Haddon Heights prepare for the local March of Our Lives, which it is co-sponsoring tomorrow. Student bloggers weigh in on each activity. United Methodist Community of Collingswood Today we went to the UM...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service: Youth Engineering and Science
Exploration: something that everyone desires, but only a few get to grasp. So many people aspire to spend even a fraction of their lives exploring places, ideas, memories, yet barely a handful of them find the lucky key that unlocks the time for exploration. Today, the key was handed to us, as well as...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service: Collingswood Methodist Home
Mortality: a paradox constantly stressed but often neglected. We know our time is of the essence, yet we sometimes forget to act upon it, and end up sometimes breathing instead of living. On average, our species lives seventy-nine years before our parting breath. Us humans go through life constantly waiting on the next step,...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 4: Perkins Center for the Arts
Today, we spent time at the Perkins Center for the Arts, at 30 Irwin Ave. in Collingswood. (There is a second location right in Moorestown, located at 395 Kings Highway). Led by Samantha Salazar, manager of Special Events and Education Assistant, we helped clean the massively impressive warehouse space, and we helped create artistic...
Continue readingSouth Jersey Service Day 3: Children’s Garden in Camden
When we arrived at the garden’s waterfront location around 9 a.m., it was drizzling. One of the main staff members, Jeff Clarke, greeted and talked to us about what he and his team do at the garden and throughout Camden. Jeff explained to us how he travels to schools throughout Camden city and...
Continue readingProviding Food Security for South Jersey
Today, our group went to the The Food Bank of South Jersey, which is located at 1501 John Tipton Boulevard, in Pennsauken. When we departed the bus, we signed in and each got a volunteer number. Next, we were given a brief tour of the massive and impressive facility, and then we were introduced...
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