In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dav of Service, Chestnut Hill Rotary volunteers contributed 100 hours service throughout the week. Service activities included purchasing and donating food to Face to Face Germantown, preparing, assembling, and delivering 100 bags of food, warm clothing to Prevention Point Philadelphia in Kensington, and painting the conference room and hallway of The Business Center in Northwest Philadelphia.
Volunteers preparing “snack bags” for donation to Prevention Point Philadelphia. Pictured l-r: Maxine Dornemann; Maggie Stoffel; Rebecca Anwar; Denise Chapline; Ellen Williams; Jay Pennie; Lena Kedar; Carol Tyler; and Bonnie Tatcher.
“It feels right to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week by helping the most vulnerable people in our community.”
The week of service kicked off with food donations, gathered earlier, and then delivered to Face To Face Germantown. In previous service projects, members volunteered to refurbish and paint the dining facility and the club’s foundation provided financial support for their clients who are struggling families and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service is the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a national day- of-service intended as – a “day on, not a day off.” Participation in service activities has grown each year as more Americans are encouraged to provide meaningful change in their communities.
One of the vehicles in the caravan loaded with donated clothing for Prevention Point Philadelphia. Pictured: l-r: Chestnut Hill Rotary members Carol Bates; Marie Lachat; Maggie Stoeffel; Tim Sager (in truck); David Gary Smith.
“It feels right to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week by helping the most vulnerable people in our community,” said Maggie Stoeffel, Community Service Co-Chair. “Prevention Point’s clients are in crisis, and we hope to improve their situation just a bit, by providing them with something as simple as warm clothes and some food.”
On Tuesday morning, a small caravan of vehicles driven by club members delivered the food and clothing to Prevention Point Philadelphia on Tuesday morning, which was bustling with activity.
Prevention Point Philadelphia, located in the Kensington section of the city, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The organization lies within the congressional district which has one of the highest poverty rates in the country. As of the recent census, 26% of the residents in that district live below the poverty level and ranked 431 of 435 districts. Moreover, according to the Census Reporter, 41% of the residents live below the poverty level. Kensington is also the 2nd hungriest District in the U.S and it is considered in the epicenter of the opioid/fentanyl crisis.
“Thank you so much for your help, support and donations,” said Prevention Point’s long-time CEO, Jose Benitez, who greeted volunteers with Board Chair, Ann Ricksecker and her husband and club member, Dr. David Gary Smith. Both serve as volunteers for the organization. Benitez was overwhelmed with the amount of winter clothing donated.
Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill volunteers with Prevention Point Philadelphia officials: l-r, Jay Pennie: Bernard, Prevention Point; Rebecca Anwar; Prevention Point Board Chair Ann Ricksecker, and CEO Jose Benitez; David Gary Smith; Arne Mark; Jul, Jorge, and Neha, Prevention Point,
“Addiction is not a choice,” said Benitez at an earlier presentation to Chestnut Hill Rotary members. He also explained that PPP focus their programs to reduce the harm caused by people who use drugs. Founded in the early 1990’s during the height HIV crisis, their syringe exchange program averted 10,592 HIV cases over nine years, saving $182 million in taxpayers’ dollars.
“It was so gratifying for us to see people immediately putting on warm coats, gloves, and boots and eating food right away,” said Carol Bates, Coordinator for the Prevention Point Project and one of the organizers who helped gather the items donated by Rotarians, friends, relatives, and neighbors.
Community members receiving donations outside Prevention Point Philadelphia’s facility.
The week was capped off with a dozen member and guests volunteers donning their painting clothes to give a much-needed facelift to the conference room and adjacent hallway at The Business Center, a nonprofit organization that provides education and business networking programs that strengthen the business formation necessary to contribute to improving Northwest Philadelphia’s minority business ecosystem.
Painting volunteers: l-r, Tamir Clark, The Business Center; Frank Hollick; Ron Williford, The Business Center; Marie Lachat; Carol Bates; Pamela Rich-Wheeler, Executive Director, The Business Center; Arne Mark, international student from Germany; Maggie Stoffel; Lena Kedar, international student from Guyana; Rebecca Anwar; Larry Schofer; and Jay Pennie (front).
Joining Rotary volunteers this week were international students Arne Mark, from Germany and Lena Kedar, from Guyana. Both are guests of member Rebecca Anwar, who’s hosted scores of international/exchange students over the years. While in high school, Mark studied at Chestnut Hill Academy for his sophomore year. Keda is finishing her second year at Community College of Philadelphia and will be transferring to Drexel University next year. Anwar also volunteers frequently at Hope Children’s Home, a facility that offers care to abused and neglected children in Guyana. Chestnut Hill Rotary also provides financial support and donates items in need to the organization.
Event organizer Maggie Stoeffel painting conference room at The Business Center.
“One of the most rewarding things about our service project is the response we get when we share this appeal with our friends and neighbors outside of our Rotary group,” said Stoeffel. “Our community is filled with caring and generous people who enthusiastically joined us by donating coats and food, and by making monetary donations to our effort.”
“We hope to broaden our reach into the community even more next year,” said Bates. “It’s a win for everyone!”
If you are a Rotarian, I hope that you are proud of the work that we do. If you are not yet a member, contact us to join.
Find out how you can become a member of the Rotary Club of Chestnut Hill or make a donation to the Chestnut Hill Rotary Foundation.
