Hundreds of volunteers at Highland Park’s Recreation Center om Monday made crafts, wrote letters to soldiers overseas and put toiletries into baggies for needy families here and in other countries.
The 3rd annual Martin Luther King Day volunteer celebration drew children and their parents to the event sponsored by North Shore School District 112 and the city’s Human Relations Commission. (Photos: MLK volunteer event)
The event started three years ago to honor the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life’s work, said Cheryl Levi, who helped coordinate the event.
“This day is set aside to honor Martin Luther King and his vision for people to give back to their communities,” Levi said.
Volunteers circulated among the dozens of tables that offered craft opportunities in the community center’s gym.
Genevieve Levin, 7, who attends Sherwood Elementary School, made paper flower pots for patients at local hospitals while Lilly Adelstein and Paige Bordo, both 8 of Wayne Thomas Elementary School, were at another volunteer table, decorating flip-flops for needy children in India.
Lilly said she wanted to help children who don’t have easy access to shoes, so she participated in this particular craft event.
“It’s so people can walk with shoes and do what I can do with shoes,” Lilly said. “I wrote on the shoes, ‘Lilly says hi, I hope you have a good life.”
Paige decided to add stripes to her flip-flops but no message. ”I have a lot and am happy,” Paige said. “I want to (decorate flip-flops) so others less fortunate can feel happy like I do.”
The 200 pairs of flip-flops will be hand-delivered by Daniella Cohen, 13, who attends Elm Place Middle School. She’s heading to to India in April through her volunteer group that she started called G.I.V.E., which stands for Go, Innovate, Volunteer, Educate.
It’s a collaboration between Sahasra Deepika Institute for Education School in Bangalore, India and Elm Place Middle School, where children connect with each other through various modes of communication.
“Writing on the flip-flops is a way to connect with other kids,” Daniella said.
