Thank You, C&C, for Another Incredible MLK Family Service Day!

> Thank You, C&C, for Another Incredible MLK Family Service Day!

On Saturday, January 27, 2024, many families and community members gathered for C&C’s 12th Annual MLK Family Service Day. Co-hosted by the Xs and Community Outreach, C&C families worked together to create an abundance of decorations, many care cards with heartfelt messages, 400 toiletry gift bags, 820 homemade cookie packages, and 350 to-go lunch bags to distribute to people in need. In the afternoon, middle and upper school families served lunch at The Red Door Place.

“The rooms were buzzing with activity!” said Gee Roldan, Xs teacher. “There was a large turnout amongst all members of our community, and it was truly heartwarming to see people work together in an act of service.”

A service learning and leadership project, the Xs spent the last two weeks creating signage for the event and decorating 450 lunch bags and cookie stickers with positive messages. Several Xs volunteered on Saturday to facilitate each making station, greet families, pack and deliver items to The Church of the Village, decorate the sanctuary, and serve hot meals to guests in the afternoon.

One student commented, “It felt nice. People felt happy. I talked to some people when I was serving second helpings. I talked to someone who knew how to speak French, Russian, and German. We ended up speaking in Russian, and they asked me about my family and school.”

“The Xs were so committed, engaged, and worked so hard,” said Pam Usanachitt-Finlow, C&C’s Community Outreach Chair. “Some came before 10:00 and didn’t leave until 3:00. This beautiful day was a success because of them and their teachers, who were such a positive force throughout the whole month.”

Everyone had an opportunity to be involved with this year’s event, even if they could not attend Saturday. A toiletries drive started a week before the event, and on Friday, all were invited to bring cookies to share.

Serving the Red Door Place, formerly known as Daisy’s Food Pantry, is a tradition that began 14* years ago in partnership between the then Director of Diversity and the Community Outreach co-chairs. Its goals remain true today:

Honor Martin Luther King Jr, who advocated the importance of service
Offer the community a chance to engage in service-learning opportunities benefiting our larger community while promoting a sense of community within C&C
Provide the Xs the autonomy to host and to deepen their learning about service by collaborating with one of the best practices in New York, the Red Door Place
Spark conversations around service and promote the love of helping others in classrooms and families

C&C’s Community Outreach Program and Community Roots, a student-driven immersive auxiliary program, offer events and service opportunities throughout the year. This year’s programs include:

In October, Community Roots hosted a drive for migrant preschoolers.
At C&C’s annual Harvest Festival, Community Outreach hosted a table for families to decorate Fall Feast bags and make food donations.
The XIIs championed the Fall Feast in a Bag program in November.
In December, the school collected winter accessories led by the IXs.
January’s event is the annual MLK Family Day of Service.
Our XIs will lead a book drive for Project Cicero in late February and early March.
Community Roots will organize the school’s Chelsea Fridge Project every Monday following spring break.

“Community Roots has grown exponentially since its founding in 2020,” said Director of Auxiliary Programming Natalie Joseph. “Every week, 20-30 students gather to support DEI work and the Community Outreach Committee.”

How to Be Involved:

Volunteer opportunities for families are available during most of the drives. Sign-up sheets are circulated by the school’s communication and via group reps. The Community Outreach Committee is open for anyone to join in any capacity.

Please reach out to community@cityandcountry.org to join the committee or with any questions.
To learn more about Community Roots, please contact Natalie Joseph.

* This is the 12th annual event because the event was not held in 2021 and 2022 due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.