Showing Community Cares- 100 cents at a time

BY PATRICIA KELLER
WEST MILFORD — Feb. 12 marked the 100th day of school for this year in West Milford. Students in West Milford schools celebrated this occasion in many different ways, but three elementary schools also turned it into something even more - with a Service Learning Project to benefit the community.

Maple Road, Paradise Knoll and Upper Greenwood Lake elementary schools all conducted a “100th Day of School Campaign” to collect necessary, non-food items for local families in need. The campaign was coordinated by student council members and advisors of each individual school, in conjunction with the “Connect for Community” organization (CFC) located in Sparta.

According to the Connect for Community website, the organization has been serving those in need in local communities by providing food and toiletries to food pantries, soup kitchens, and social service agencies since 2009. “In 2010, CFC adapted the ‘100th Day of School’ program to show children what 100 pennies can buy. Students are asked to bring in one toiletry item we use every day, items not covered by food stamps, yet necessities in life.”

The organization stated that participation numbers have risen each year, with 50 schools across six counties in northern New Jersey participating in 2015, and also one in Harlem, N.Y. Over the past five years, the program volunteers have collected and distributed early 40,000 items to local food pantries. In December of 2014, CFC opened its first Connect for Community Center in Sparta.

Maple Road Principal Bill Kane said that at Maple Road School, the 100th Day of School program was coordinated by the Maple Road School Student Council and Student Council Leader Jennifer Balogh.

“Connect for Community created the 100th Day of School program to show children what 100 cents can buy, and asked children at each grade level to donate one everyday personal hygiene product," said Kane. "All donations went to local food pantries.”

Students at Paradise Knoll were invited to participate by bringing in an item they can purchase for 100 cents to donate. Students in each grade level were assigned a different specific item to bring in: items such as soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, toilet paper, etc. - items that are necessities in life, but most are not covered by food stamps. PK Student Council members helped collect and sort the donated items to be picked up by CFC representatives.

Upper Greenwood Lake (UGL) Principal Steven Deo said, “UGL families generously donated soup and non-edible essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products for families who need them most.” The collections at UGL ran from Feb. 8 through 12, with pickup by CFC organization volunteers on Friday, Feb. 12. “This is another example of UGL's commitment to community service and character education initiatives in order to promote awareness of volunteerism and civic responsibility among our students,” Deo said, adding that UGL's student council members and faculty advisors did an outstanding job of coordinating efforts and ensuring the event was a success.

For more information about CFC programs, visit their website at www.connectforcommunity.org.

For more photos from the Connect for Community drive in West Milford, go to westmilfordmessenger.com.