Shaker Heights Schools Plan Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH - The Shaker Heights CommUnity Builders Committee, sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization, is putting on a three-part district-wide day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Committee representatives say they hope the day of service becomes a Shaker tradition.

First, children in kindergarten through fourth grade, and their families, will be making no-sew fleece blankets to distribute to the homeless in Northeast Ohio. To distribute the blankets, the group partnered with Hands On Northeast Ohio. That group will be led by Hannah Mendelsohn and Jen Bordeaux.

Bordeaux says the blankets will be made with two pieces of fleece fabric (72"x60"), which are paired together and cut 1" fringe along the outer edges. The children then tie a knot on each of the fringe pieces from the 2 fabric pieces together all along the outer edges to create a finished blanket. The children will then make a card or picture to go along with the blankets. Finally, volunteers will roll them up and tie their message to the finished blankets.

Children in grades 5-8, and their families, will be making bags and care kits for the homeless and for home insecure youth, serviced by Bellefaire JCB's Homeless and Missing Youth Program.

High school students, and their families, will be making personal care kits - which include items like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. - to distribute to the homeless community. That group is looking to prepare 500 kits.

Shaker Heights High School will host all three groups. The CommUnity Builers group hopes that by getting everyone together, under one roof, there will be an increased sense of unity among the district's families.

The initiative is being led by Roxanne Jaber, chair, PTO Council, CommUnity Builders. Last year, the MLK Day of Service was exclusively for high school students. In 2017, the event will encompass children of all ages in the district.

"We sincerely hope this will be the first of many "all in" MLK Day of Service events in Shaker," Jaber said.

The group is currently seeking donations to support the projects. You can donate here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was made a federal holiday in 1983. In 1994, Congress designated that day as a Day of Service, meaning Americans should try and take time that day to support our vulnerable communities, or otherwise volunteer for their community.

Photo by: Derek Mindler/Flickr