Mount Holly Township Hosts Toy Drive and Card Making for 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service

On January 18, 2016 the Mount Holly Township, the Recreation Department and Township schools hosted a toy drive and card making community service project as part of the 21st annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. Community members dropped off new toys at Folwell Elementary School in Mount Holly in support of the Virtua Foundation and the children at Virtua Memorial Hospital. They also made cards for residents of the Virtua Health and Rehabilitation Center long-term care facility.

“We are so pleased and grateful to once again be the beneficiaries of the Mount Holly Township/MLK365 day of service,” said Christina Mattison, senior vice president, Virtua Foundation. “New toys for children in the hospital and cards for our residents will make their day a little brighter.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent question is, what are you doing for others?” Each year MLK365 promotes year-round volunteer service and civic engagement and partners with communities throughout the tri-state region to host the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service – the largest King Day event in the nation.

Tens of thousands of local residents, including children, seniors and families, received vital services and resources as part of this annual day of service in 2015.

“Mount Holly Schools are excited to partner with the township and its recreational department to celebrate Martin Luther King’s Birthday by serving the community,” said Superintendent James DiDonato of Mount Holly Township Public Schools. “It is wonderful to see so many community entities come together around this great cause. Mount Holly is an amazing town with amazing people, and it has a school district that believes in service, learning and citizenship.”

This is the second year Mount Holly Township has participated in the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, and the public response and willingness to participate continues to grow each year.

“Last year, more than 400 toys were donated and 150 cards were made and delivered through the service project – which far exceeded our expectations!” said Diane Cruz and Briana Banks, co-organizers of the event and member of the Mount Holly Parks and Recreation Department’s committee. “This year, more than 800 toys were donated! The public response was extraordinary, and we were thrilled to see so many people willing to volunteer their time to help neighbors in need.”

Sponsors of this year’s event include ACME of Mount Holly, Downtown Pizza in Mount Holly, Parker McCay, Penonni Associates Inc., The Pretzel Factory, Rowan College at Burlington County and ShopRite in Lumberton. For more information, visit the Mount Holly Township website: http://twp.mountholly.nj.us/.

Captions:

Photo 1 – Cami Grinnell of the Marlton Christian Academy shows off her handcrafted MLK Day Card, part of Mount Holly’s Card Making Service Project for the 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Photo 2 – from left: Kayla Williams and Bryttney Alexis spent their MLK Day giving back to their community as volunteers for Mount Holly’s Toy Drive and Card Making Service Project, part of the 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Photo 3 – from left: Mount Holly Deputy Mayor Rich DiFolco, members of the Mount Holly Township Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire Department and Police Department and Mount Holly Town Council member Lew Brown volunteered at the Toy Drive and Card Making Service Project as part of the 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Photo4 – from left: Garrielle Sutton and Sheryl Markley decorate cards for Mount Holly’s Card Making Service Project, part of the 21st Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.