“Service doesn’t have to be doing something for someone else; it can be you doing something for yourself so that you understand others better,” said one volunteer who participated in Shipley’s Martin Luther King Day service opportunities.
Well over one hundred students, teachers, and parents participated in service events at Shipley and the surrounding Philadelphia area Monday, Jan. 19th. There were various activities to participate in, including making quilts for babies, sorting clothes for the Life Center, repairing bikes at Neighborhood Bike Works, and taking care of pets at the Francisvale Animal Shelter.
Teacher Peter Stokes found his pairing of students and teachers with the members of the Church of the Advocate, at 18th and Diamond Streets, a particularly gratifying experience. There were about seventy people ranging in age from 4 to 60 involved in face painting, rap singing, sewing, and a group theater skit. The day ended with a one man play about the teachings of MLK, followed by groups of children singing their versions of the civil rights song, “We shall overcome” adding new lines and new feelings. The comments made about what the students had learned were poignant and reflective.
Another group traveled to the Audenried High School in South Philadelphia where they cleaned brass door knobs and windows. In Bryn Mawr, ten volunteers with people-friendly dogs visited the Chateau Senior Care Facility for pet therapy. The dogs included two basset hounds, two golden retrievers, and a Bouvier.
At Shipley’s Lower School, sixty students and their parents with ten faculty volunteers focused on four different rotational projects. By the end of the morning they had made 500 sandwiches, designed placemats and cards, and collected and sorted clothing for the Life Center, a homeless shelter near 69th street. In one rotation they watched a videotape of Martin Luther King’s life and learned of the impact his words have had on Americans since his assassination.
Finally, for those students who created the baby quilts, the commitment to doing something for someone else was a valuable lesson and further reinforced the words of Dr. King to serve others. While it was not easy to part with the quilts they had spent all morning creating, they knew that they were making a special gesture to someone who would appreciate their efforts. 
January 2004
News
“Service doesn’t have to be doing something for someone else; it can be you doing something for yourself so that you understand others better,” said one volunteer who participated in Shipley’s Martin Luther King Day service opportunities.
