Highland Students Work on MLK Day

A group of Highland students, joined by three teachers, make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day a "day on."

A group of approximately 40 Highland Regional High School students were joined by three teachers in cleaning up two area cemeteries on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While many of their peers took the day off to pursue leisurely activities, these students made it a "day on" by volunteering two hours for the Day of Service project to clean up the cemeteries at Blackwood United Methodist and First Baptist churches.

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Still Time to Sign Up for MLK Day of Service

Gloucester Township still needs more volunteers.

There's still time to sign up to volunteer in Gloucester Township on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The second annual Gloucester Township MLK Day of Service will be held on Monday, Jan. 21, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Register to volunteer by clicking here. You will be given the option to select two projects for which you wish to volunteer. As of Monday night, about 110 people had signed up to participate in the Day of Service, according to Gloucester Township Council Vice President Orlando Mercado, who is heading the service project for the township. Mercado expects volunteers will be informed what project they've been assigned on Friday. Volunteers are asked to first report to the Gloucester Township Senior Center at the Chews Landing Road …

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VIDEO: Community Honors Martin Luther King Jr. with 'Day of Service' Projects

More than 100 volunteers spread out across Gloucester Township to lend a hand in Dr. King's honor on Monday.

Not too bad for the first year. That's how Gloucester Township Council Vice President Orlando Mercado assessed the town's first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. "I'm overwhelmed by the amount of volunteers we had today," Mercado said around 11 a.m. Monday at Camden County Animal Shelter, one of eight locations where volunteers worked for a few hours. Mercado pitched the idea for a communitywide Day of Service to mark King's official birthday celebration to Mayor David Mayer just two-and-a-half weeks ago, and announced it during the township's annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 2. He thought they'd get 50 or so volunteers for five projects. They got 116, and had to add three projects to accommodate the numbers. "I'm surprised…

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Joshua Berry

6:41 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Nice work Councilman. I am glad to see MLK being turned into a "Day On" instead of a "Day Off".   more ›

Just Few Days Remain to Register for Glo. Twp.'s MLK Day of Service

With two projects added this week, go to the township website now to sign up for one of seven service projects.

Just a few days remain to pre-register for the township's first community-wide Day of Service project to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Two projects have been added to the township's Day of Service program, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Monday at the senior center at the municipal complex. There are now seven service projects, all of which will be conducted in the township. The projects were selected by Council Vice President Orlando Mercado so as to allow people of all ages to participate. The seven projects are: To pre-register for the Gloucester Township's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, go to this page on the official township website. Mercado is hopeful at least 50 residents will join him, Mayor David Mayer and …

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Pete Heinbaugh

7:35 pm on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

It would be great to see a robust turnout for this. Whether or not you can volunteer your time, please be as generous as you are able with donation items on Monday. - non perishable food items for the food pantry - shoes - pet supplies and many other items for the animal shelter (see this link for needed items http://ccasnj.org/you_can_help/donate.html ) See you Monday.   more ›

Five Things You Need to Know ... The Coming Week

Gloucester Township Patch provides a quick rundown of five things you should know heading into the week.

1. The Township Council will meet Monday night at the municipal building. Not including the largely ceremonial Jan. 2 reorganization meeting, it will be the first public-action session of the new Council, with newcomer Tracy Trotto and returning former councilman Sam Siler replacing Crystal Evans and Ken Garbowski. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. 2. Before Council gets down to business, the Timber Creek Regional High School football team will be recognized by township officials for winning the 2011 South Jersey Group 3 title. 3. Pressure is on the township to get the audio working on its live stream, after watchdog Joshua Berry reported during last Wednesday's Council work session that there was no sound for web viewers for …

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Going Green

He Had a Dream

A handful of opportunities to help make the dream become a reality on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2012.

Unless you've been living in a hut in a remote village in Timbuktu, you probably already know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday held every year on the third Monday of January. It is a celebration of the life of Dr. King, an American civil rights leader, influential speaker and activist. Dr. King is most well-known for his efforts to create racial equality and to end racial segregation in the United States. By American standards, MLK Day is the baby of federal holidays, first observed in 1986, and officially honored by all 50 states in 2000. Originally, MLK Day was seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans. In more recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on …

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Michelle Wolfson

11:31 pm on Monday, January 9, 2012

Now there's a dream for you. Maybe we can turn that into a volunteer project. There's no potholes on my street, but I'll come help fill up yours! Seriously though, I take it you have already called about them?   more ›

Township Calls on Vols for MLK Day of Service

Council Vice President Orlando Mercado hopes to draw 50 volunteers for five different service projects on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Come one, come all—come lend a helping hand. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 16, this year, has truly become a day for Americans to honor the late civil-rights activist by helping others. In that spirit, Council Vice President Orlando Mercado is hopeful residents will join him, Mayor David Mayer and the rest of Council on one of five service projects he's arranged for the first-ever Gloucester Township Day of Service. "It's an opportunity for people to get involved. It's nonpartisan. It's a chance for people to come out," he said. Given he pitched the idea to Mayer just last week, Mercado said he'd be pleased to get 50 volunteers out for the first-year Day of Service. With a little more planning in …

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Michelle Wolfson

10:50 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Sounds good. For us, I like the idea of doing cards for our military personnel. This way my kids can come out as well.   more ›