Dr. Martin Luther King’s enduring legacy of unity, and equal opportunity for all, brought together scores of children and their families at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum on Monday, Jan. 21, in partnership with the Jewish non-profit Repair the World, to package ‘care kits’ for homeless adults at CAMBA Shelters and drop-in centers.
The children expressed their views of what was special about Dr. Martin Luther King Day during their volunteer session, and afterwards eagerly packaged hats, gloves, lotion and lip balm, in bags to make their day of volunteering special.
Project Coordinator, Joshua Foss, appreciated the day of service to benefit the homeless, stating that CAMBA provides a warm meal, and places to stay in partnership with churches, volunteers and families.
For almost 42 years, the group has helped New Yorkers transformed their lives by providing holistic programs to individuals, families and communities, and offer integrated services and programs in economic development, education and youth development, family support, health, housing and legal services.
Program Director, Shoshana Weiner, and Lauren Tassone, associate, Office of the President of Repair the World, welcomed the children, many who had signed up online to participate in the day-long initiative, one of more than 80 events that took place across New York, as part of the organization’s make community service a meaningful part of American life, said the organizers.
“In addition to planning community events, we have fellows doing work in their communities,” said Weiner, who added that Repair the World runs a fellowship program with eight fellows, who are partnered with service sites to engage community members, including the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
“We work on relationship efforts,” said Tasson of the Crown Heights location, noting that the group works all over the USA, in Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, and Detroit. Pittsburg, Philadelphia, making community service a meaningful part of life.
“Today is a call to action, because Dr. King felt that all people should have access to the same opportunities, and at Repair the World, we contribute to communities that treat each other fairly. We would like to uplift everyone on this day and make it a valuable day of service that reflect our values.”
Melanie S. Lewis, a non-Jewish African-American, who grew-up in Crown Heights, and serves as an advisory board member of Repair the World, thanked the group for accepting her into the organization, through a national service Shabbat, a few years ago, adding that she was excited to be a part of the great initiatives that are taking place in her neighborhood and Brooklyn.
“My daughters Sylvia and Legacy accompanied me here today to be a part of the day of service. I appreciate Repair the World, I feel they are a great addition to our community, and I thank Caribbean Life for the great work it is doing. We appreciate you,” said the board member, whose office is located at 808 Nostrand Ave., in Brooklyn.
“As we honor the unending work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we act now in solidarity with directly impacted communities to address immediate needs created by institutionalized racism and other intersecting injustices,” said the Repair the World website.
To learn more, go to www. werep
