On MLK day, a group of junior students bussed down to Germantown to help out in a new community. Pulling into the Unitary Society of Germantown, a woman with volunteer badge kindly escorted the students inside. The inside of the church was packed volunteers of all ages tightly filed in each row. Soon groups were divided and people went in different directions to begin working. Our school split into two groups, one on its way to The Henry School and the other to the basement to write letters.
The group assigned letter writing went in with little awareness of what they were to do and found themselves at table headed by a woman with a confident voice holding a sheet of paper with the names of congressmen and their addresses and some sample emails from members of the church or town that had been sent to Washington concerning gun control. The students took their seats, and luckily in support of gun control, complied with the woman’s request. Students began to write letters, but recognized that this situation might not be a comfortable one for some of their peers. Soon they made their way to a less controversial group that was writing Valentine’s cards that would be sent to an elder home.
Down the street at the Henry School, Radnor students were running around the elementary school, preparing it for the students who would be returning to class the next day. Some students worked in the hallways with a paint roller and variations of blue paint to recoat all of the lockers. Others helped out some of the teachers by organizing their books, sharpening pencils, or organizing markers and tossing out the ones that had dried out. A group of Radnor students took to gloves, sponges and vinegar to scrub down the floors walls and windows. Within a few hours, we had juiced out all of the supplies we were given. Though a little short on hand, and a bit underprepared with supplies, we put forth a great team effort.
Many of the people working at the Henry School, Unitary Society of Germantown, or volunteers welcomed us with open arms, which we greatly appreciated. It was a nice thing to see people from different communities coming together as a team.