Eileen Smith
Courier-Post Staff
On the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., volunteers will set out in the spirit of the civil rights champion, working to make their small part of the world a bette place — one small act of selflessness at a time.
In Ocean City, high school students will continue a tradition of cleaning sidewalks, gathering to pick up trash.
In Trenton, volunteers will paint murals to brighten the halls of Trenton Central High School.
“Martin Luther King Day has become a national day of volunteering,” said Gayle Porter, professor of management at the Rutgers School of Business-Camden. “It’s fitting as so much of his work was devoted to fighting poverty, to helping people of all races and backgrounds."
The federal holiday, observed on the third Monday in January, has been celebrated officially since 1986. In 1994, Congress designated MLK Day as a national day of service.
At Subaru’s national headquarters in Cherry Hill, the holiday marks the beginning of several weeks of volunteer projects. Today, volunteers will work at Helping Hand Rescue Mission, a faith-based program for homeless people in Philadelphia.
In all, Subaru volunteers will work with 47 organizations, including the Food Bank of South Jersey, Habitat for Humanity, New Vision Homeless Center in Camden and Willingboro-based Providence House, a shelter for abused women and children.
“We do it because it is the right thing to do,” said Sandra Capell, Subaru spokeswoman. “These organizations have needs and we have employees who are willing to help."
Joanne Moyer, a systems and support manager for the automaker, will lead a team that will clear paths and dig French drains for kennels at the Animal Welfare Association, a no-kill, not-for-profit shelter in Voorhees.
With four cats she rescued and a dog of her own, Moyer was looking for an opportunity to support an organization devoted to finding loving homes for animals.
“My schedule during my time off is extremely busy, so I’m especially grateful to have an employer that makes it possible for me to volunteer,” she said.
Subaru employees may put in time during working hours and will receive their regular pay.
“It could be a few hours or as much as the whole day,” Capell says. “It is up to individual managers to decide how much time off someone can take.”
Porter notes that volunteer efforts in the workplace seldom generate spontaneously. The government has tasked the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for National and Community Service with leading the effort on MLK Day.
“People often have difficulty finding a good fit for their skills and efforts,” she said. “Companies can help by giving them choices in ways they can be of service.”
Working to help others benefits volunteers as well as the beneficiaries.
“It’s great team building and can enrich relationships on the job,” Porter said. “Kids enjoy working alongside their parents on a day off from school.”
At Lamatek, a maker of weather stripping in West Deptford, workers will collect nonperishable food and gently used coats to benefit The Lighthouse Christian Center, an organization that helps poor people in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia.
Laura Basara, director of sales and marketing, says Lamatek employees also inspire one another to do good with pictures of volunteer efforts they make on their own. She posted a shot on the company website of her trip to New Orleans, where she worked to rescue pets stranded by Hurricane Katrina.
“We have lots of walks, lot of runs that our employees are active in,” she said.
Basara said hard economic times are prompting many people to look for ways to do more, despite financial hardships in their own lives.
“People are still willing to give, even when they have less,” she said. “It seems fitting when we think about Martin Luther King and his dedication to doing great things for others.”
Source: http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20120116/NEWS01/301160020/Volunteers-honor-King-s-spirit
Reach Eileen Smith at (856) 486-2444 or eismith@camden.gannett.com
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