John Khanlian Named 1st Moorestown Humanitarian Of The Month

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A prominent Moorestown volunteer will go down in history as the recipient of the first Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month Award, the award committee announced.

John Khanlian, a Moorestown resident for 50 years, was named the award’s first recipient. The award recognizes Moorestown residents who engage in humanitarian causes and might otherwise go unrecognized.

A charity of the winner’s choice receives a $1,000 donation from the Janet Knowles Charitable Foundation. The winner receives a $100 gift certificate to a Moorestown restaurant of his choice, and two tickets to a Moorestown Theater Company (MTC) performance.

“I’m both surprised and deeply humbled to be selected for this award,” Khanlian said. “There are so very many citizens who give of themselves in positive ways to help make Moorestown a wonderful community and who are deserving of this recognition. I have chosen to have the $1,000 Knowles donation go to STEM (Save the Environment of Moorestown). Hopefully that organization can make good use of the funds to help preserve and maintain our precious open spaces and wildlife habitats in the face of continuing residential and commercial property development in town.”

Khanlian is a retired social studies teacher who taught at the Moorestown Friends School for four years before pursuing a career in curriculum development, research, and assessment. He worked with the Educational Information and Resource Center, the NJ State Department of Education, and finally Educational Testing Service (ETS).

He serves on the boards of trustees for Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development, Inc. (MEND), the Moorestown Improvement Association, and the NJ Council for the Social Studies.
In his free time, he coordinates all donations from schools, local groceries, and other contributors to the food pantry at First Baptist Church. This includes picking up donated items from local groceries and convenience stores several times a week.

He also volunteers with Cherry Hill-based BookMates, a children’s literacy program that provides reading sessions to children in low- and moderate-income communities. Khanlian reads to students in kindergarten.

Khanlian also helps with Friends of the Moorestown Library used book sales, and is a docent at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The married father of three also enjoys singing with the Garden State Chorale, his church and synagogue choirs, and occasionally in MTC musical shows.

Janet Knowles, the founder of the Knowles Teacher Initiative, created the award and began taking nominations in February. Read more here: Moorestown Nonprofit Launches Humanitarian Of The Month Award

“I believe we have heroes and heroines among us that we never hear about,” Knowles said. “The goal of this award is to recognize and thank those Moorestonians who do so much to improve the welfare and happiness of other people by their selfless acts of charity. And by donating to a charity in the winner’s name, the award supports continued good works. The Award Committee also thought it was important to give the winners something to enjoy, so they’ll get to dine out at a local restaurant and see a show courtesy of the Moorestown Theater Company.”

The Award Committee will meet again in early April to select the next Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month. The following guidelines are set for award nominees:

• Nominees must be a resident of Moorestown Township at the time of their nomination.
• Nominee's humanitarian work need not be confined to Moorestown.
• Nominees' humanitarian work and service activities should be unrelated to their employment.
• Individuals with an active candidacy for political office or for the Moorestown Board of Education are not eligible for the award.
• Nominees may be an individual, a couple or a family that resides in Moorestown. Once someone has received the award, they will not be eligible for future nomination.
• Employees of the Knowles Teacher Initiative and their families are not eligible for nomination.
• Nominations can be made online using this form. The form can also be mailed to:

Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month
PO Box 826
Moorestown, NJ 08057

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact Anthony.Bellano@patch.com.