Local Private School to Hold 2nd Community Service Day

On Saturday, September 26, Shore Country Day School will partner with the North Shore United Way for United in Service, a day of volunteering in Beverly and surrounding communities.

The event will be the second such partnership this year: In the spring, nearly 300 Shore Country Day School volunteers including students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators joined together for Shore’s first annual United in Service day, which generated more than 800 hours of volunteer work on behalf of local organizations including Beverly Bootstraps, the Beverly Children’s Learning Center, Beverly Hospital, Change is Simple, Family Promise, the Food Project at Long Hill Farm, Gloucester’s Backyard Growers, Meals on Wheels, Northeast Arc, Open Door and Acord food pantries, Plummer Home, River House Shelter, and Windrush Farm.

“It was a pleasure to find creative ways to get parents and kids of all ages serving together,” said North Shore United Way Project Manager Sarah Bartley of last year’s event, “and to see the impact of the service day improving the lives of their neighbors in so many different ways. Kudos for the spirit of service learning that Shore embraces.”

This year’s event will serve a number of new agencies in addition to many of last spring’s beneficiaries. New agencies include Backyard Growers, Boston Area Gleaners, Community Giving Tree, and Family Promise shelters.

Says Whitney Savignano, a Shore parent and co-organizer of the September 26 event, “We’re expecting a great turnout for our second United in Service day. We anticipate this fall’s event to engage more than 300 members of the Shore community in a variety of projects across the North Shore. United in Service was a totally new event for Shore last spring, and as such we were not sure what to expect. The response was tremendous, and the feedback we received from all parties was overwhelmingly positive. Shore families were thrilled to be doing meaningful work for local agencies, and the agencies were impressed with the commitment and hard work of the Shore volunteers.”

Savignano continues, “The partnership among Shore, the United Way, and the local agencies is unique in this area. The fact that we have so many agencies partnering with us again this fall is a sign that United in Service is a concept that works. Without a doubt, Shore families are looking forward to volunteering their time again this fall to agencies that make a difference in their communities.”

Agrees Shore teacher and event co-organizer Doug Lucey, “I am giddy with anticipation for our second annual United in Service Day! The thought of seeing Shore families engaging with organizations all over the North Shore invigorates me. Our partnership with the United Way has gelled so well over the last two years, and Sarah Bartley continues to be a vital force of organization and efficiency for the upcoming project.”

Continues Lucey, “This year, we’re hopeful we will be able to expand the work done during the event beyond this one day in September. We’re really looking for our community to build lasting relationships with the volunteer groups they choose. I foresee students, teachers, and families participating on various other occasions throughout the year, and I can even see that involvement making an impact in our curriculum as our students develop a deeper understanding of what it takes to make a difference in their community and in their world.”

The North Shore United Way invests almost $1M each year in local causes to transform lives and improve communities now and for future generations. NSUW rigorously vets and supports dozens of programs that serve children, families, and seniors in eight North Shore communities. More about funded programs at nsuw.org. To find a volunteer opportunity on the North Shore visit volunteer.nsuw.org.

Shore Country Day School is a Pre-K through Grade 9 coeducational day school located in Beverly, MA. Its mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning, nurtures creativity and essential character skills, and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. Learn more at www.shoreschool.org