Community Service
The community service program’s mission is to extend the Merion School’s reach into the community, teach good stewardship to children, and provide another opportunity for community among Merion families through service projects. We plan drives, projects and collaborations within our local and wider community. Whether it's an emergency collection for the Red Cross relief fund, a Winter Essentials clothes drive for Philadelphia's families in need, or a multi - community book project - our hope is that at least one will overlap with your own interests. We hope to represent what our Merion families feel passionate about and what you'd like to see our children become interested in. We also want to offer events you can get involved with if you are able. Thank you for your wonderful and continued support!
Timing: The Chairpersons for this HSA committee organize several events and charitable drives through the year.
Timing: The Chairpersons for this HSA committee organize several events and charitable drives through the year.
2nd Annual Book Drive for Booksmiles!
From January 9th-21st, 2022 we will hold our 2nd annual book drive for Booksmiles. Last year we collected 4,000 books!! Can we do it again? There will be 2 drop off locations in the neighborhood (see flyer below). Make room for all the new books you got over the holidays! 
2021 Halloween Helpers Costume Drive
It's time for our (almost) annual Halloween Costume Drive for Halloween Helpers (http://www.thehalloweenhelpers.com/) beginning September 20th through Oct. 7th. Collections can be dropped off in the collection bin in front of the school or on the porch at 307 Berkeley Rd. UPDATE: Despite a pandemic, we collected 50 costumes for Halloween Helpers! 
BookSmiles Book Drive
January 10-23, 2021 BookSmiles is a local non-profit that serves kids in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. See the flyer below for information about books to donate and where to drop them off! 
Halloween Helpers Costume Drive
Is last year’s Halloween costume still in the closet? Donate it to Halloween Helpers! Please send any gently used, clean and complete costumes to the bin outside the office by October 11th. Please label with size if possible. Merion has supported this local organization for many years! http://www.thehalloweenhelpers.com 
2019 Fall Backpack Drive
Thanks for your generosity! Turning Points is thrilled to have the Merion Community's support! Merion’s Community Service Committee is once again collecting new or gently used backpacks for children in foster care. Turning Points for Children’s foster care program provides homes for over 500 children in the Philadelphia area. We’d love to help these kids start off the school year with a new backpack to call their own! Please send backpacks to school or drop off in the lobby by Thursday September 12th. Last call for backpacks will be at Back to School night! EVENT UPDATES from the 2018-19 school year
Thank you for your fabulous donations while testing your strength for the Wounded Warrior Project at the Spring Fair! We donated over $350 and made cards for warriors. We were sad that our Earth Day Clear Up at the Park was canceled but watch the Merion Botanical Park website for general community clear up days! A HUGE THANK YOU for all the love shown on St Valentine's Day to our local seniors community. Meals on Wheels tell us this really brightens their patron's day. THANK YOU. And a HUGE THANK YOU also for the many donated arts supplies, towels, soaps, toothpastes and toothbrushes for homeless families at the Eliza Shirley House in Philadelphia. It was a wonderful response. Thank you.
Thank you for your food donations. Collected items were donated to the NFB and replenished their shelves. Helping our local community, at our international event!
So many cute costumes were donated to the Halloween Helpers costume drive, thank you!
THANK YOU for your fabulous backpack donations! These are just some of the many we received for the Turning Points for Children foster care program in Philadelphia. 
WELCOME to the 2017/2018 school year!
As always we are excited to be back. This year we have a new event kicking off the new school year : BACKPACKS for children in foster care (see flyer). We hope everyone saved any they replaced over summer. Collection runs September. Then we will gear up for halloween collecting gently used halloween costumes in October for local organization Halloween Helpers. Would you like to take over Community Service next year? This will be Jessica and my last year on Community Service and we are looking for a new team. We have smooth-running annual events that will be easy if you want to continue them and there's always room for new events done in new ways to help both the local and wider community. You can do as much or as little as you want and there'll always be a great community around you to help. Let's keep our students involved and engaged! Please contact us if you'd like to know more! Contact: jessica.caspe@gmail.com| claredurie@icloud.com THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AT MERION.
WE ARE TRULY THANKFUL FOR ALL YOU DO. Earth Day 2017
Our 2nd Annual Community Service Day at the Merion Botanical Park was a huge success and students worked amazingly hard planting, weeding and mulching. We also learned about forest and stream restoration, how to control invasive species, and how the park used to be a dumping ground until local residents financed the clean up in 1944. Peace for Puppies
Community Service loves our annual project with School Families. This year we supported an organization Ms Brown found called Peace For Puppies. It was started by local student Lizzie Penna* in 2008 when she was 8 year old after learning about puppy mills. The organization helps support rescues and animal shelters. School Families came together to make dog toys for the shelters. Below, you can see what 280 dog toys look like and how much they mean to their new owners. Kids make a difference! Thank you. *Lizzie photographed dropping off the student's dog toys at the shelter
Lucy Belle's Rainbow Art Supply Drive.
Lucy Belle’s Rainbow is a non-profit initiative bringing art supplies to children being treated for cancer at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Thanks to your generous donations Merion contributed: 48 boxes 64 pk crayons and 5 boxes 24 pk 50 boxes 8 pk markers and 5 20 pk 53 boxes 12 pk colored pencils 51 sticker books 2 pk stickers 75 handmade cards 
Over $1000 was collected for Doctors without Borders, during our Hats for Haiti Spirit Day.
Narberth Food Bank received an SUV-full of food from the donations you brought to Cultural Heritage Night. THANK YOU to everyone who helped our local community in need. And thank you 5L helpers for loading Mrs Gordon's car!
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! 2015/16 was another great year!
Jessica, Kathryn, Clare. Cradles to Crayons all year round collection update
The year-round collection was super successful this year. Thank you for all you donated. Merion's girls scout troop took the last of the generous donations, at the end of the school year when they volunteered their time at the warehouse. We will continue with the new all-year-round format next year so remember, just drop off at the school office whenever is convenient and our collection bags will be waiting. Thank you! Merion Elementary Community Service Day at Merion Botanical Park!
Thank you for being part of Merion's Earth Day celebrations this year! Merion families enjoyed everything from planting to pruning to mulching and weeding. Lots of Earth Day fun was had and we hope to repeat next year. 
Valentine Love for Meals on Wheels! Over 250 VALENTINES CARDS were delivered to our local Senior's community this year! THANK YOU for your support for this special project. See the article on the lmsd website! 
Community Service was proud to partner with School Families FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY A MLK poster with photo and quote was given to each School Family and students were asked to think about KINDNESS. Thoughts were added to the posters before being displayed throughout the cafeteria and library so students could be reminded of MLK's great words and messages for the rest of the month. Students got to make a tissue paper flower and encouraged to give it to someone who had shown them kindness. THANK YOU for the extra winter donations for Cradles to Crayons in December. They filled THREE of the C2C bins shown here. 
Remember, we are collecting all year round now for C2C. A collection bin is near the office and ready for donations any time you want to bring them in.
_________________________________________________________________________________ Another great year ends - thank you for all your support! Jessica & Clare June, 2015 Thank you for the fabulous response to our Merion Multi Drive!
- Lots of wonderful work attire was collected for women trying to get back into the workforce in Philadelphia who need clothing to wear for interviews and their first week at work. - An SUV-full of books & toys went to children via the wonderful Cradles to Crayons. - And rain coats and umbrellas went to the Salvation Army Eliza Shirley House. Last year, when we dropped off toy donations at Eliza Shirley House for homeless families on Market Street, they said they needed rain coats / umbrella's for families who often arrive soaked through. They were very grateful that we were able to deliver a box full. Thank you for all your donations. They really do make a difference.
The Philabundance Food Drive produced over 7,143 lbs of food to the local organization. Thank you 5th grade teachers and students for all your hard work at making this a success and to parents for your wonderful and continued support to this drive every December. Philabundance provides food to approximately 75,000 people per week and donations from individuals make up 62% of all food distributed to people in need. Thank you. | Philabundance
And the new school year kicks off again with a favorite for halloween! Thank you for all the wonderful costumes donated for local organization Halloween Helpers costume drive. They are already with their new owners! Happy Halloween everyone!! | Halloween Helpers ________________________________________________________________________________________ T H A N K Y O U !! 2013/14 was another great year and we are very grateful for all you do - from your Community Service July 2014 MERION MULTI DRIVE | Spring Cleaning & Giving ...
Kids DVD's for kidflicks; organizing DVD libraries for children’s hospital wards in the USA. Kids games - for The Salvation Army Eliza Shirley House, Phila.; providing emergency shelter for homeless families. Kids books - lmsd summer reading list books for Narberth Community Food Bank. All others for Cradles to Crayons. Kids shoes - for Cradles to Crayons; providing children living in homeless or low income situations with the essential needs to thrive. THANK YOU for such an overwhelming response. We donated over 50 DVD's; two enormous boxes of games; over 500 books and a sack of shoes!! We are so grateful to end the year on such a great drive.
Red Cross UPDATE . See how your contributions helped and continue to help.
Treats for Troops - THANK YOU for everything you sent in and for the letters written by students. We can all appreciate how big a deal it must be to receive things from home and know everyone is thinking about you while serving overseas. Thank you to the Merion Community who makes this happen each year. Story @ LMSD.
Merion again made a huge contribution to local organization PHILABUNDANCE this year. One of the largest school donations in the region, 6,919 lbs. of food was collected in December. Thank you to all who contributed, it's an amazing effort. Donations from individuals make up 62% of all food distributed to people in need by the organization. Thank you Mrs Lawson and all the 5th graders involved. Story @ LMSD.
Temple University Hospital - thanks to the 4th Graders' Community Service project, 80 cosy blankets have been made and are on their way for babies to take home from hospital... Thank you 4th Grade teachers and students!
Red Cross Disaster Relief Work Fund Raiser - 3G's amazing contribution all week for the Red Cross disaster relief work in the Philippines, making & selling RAINBOW LOOM bracelets, rallied the whole school to come together and help make a difference. The week of fund raising ended with a wear blue-red-yellow day (colors of the Philippine flag) and total donations came to over $3000. A M A Z I N G effort Merion!
NEW! see LMSD website for story ... 
Halloween Helpers - A favorite to kick off the new school; the Halloween Costume Drive was such a great success this year THANK YOU! Merion donated around 100 costumes from the cute and cuddly to the scary. Local organization Halloween Helpers distributed everything at a school in North Philadelphia and all costumes have new homes ready for the 31st. Thank you also for the items donated to the Narberth Food Bank during the Halloween Parade. ________________________________________________________A BIG THANK YOU for a great year! - thank you to everyone who rallied the troops, donated, took the time, helped out... The Links listing shows how many organizations we were in contact with this year - it's a great list! and we hope next year is just as good. THANK YOU. (June 2013)
Share A Book Title project - A follow-up component to the Share A Book book drive, was for children to share their favorite reads of the Grade Year.
We received a fantastic 275 recommendations! (the second graders recommended the most (59) with the fourth graders hot on their heels with 54!) All recommendations are now in reference books in the library ! 
Community Service at the Spring Fair!
There was fun to be had at this year's first Community Service table! Whether you created framed artwork for the troops; made braided dog toys for the ASPCA; or joined Merion's high striker* / jumping jack enthusiasts raising money for American Red Cross Oklahoma Relief Fund, you were fabulous and made a difference while having fun. Thank you.
UPDATE! fabulous (&fun) support at the Spring Fair and a generous donation from HSA, meant a check for $500 went to the American Red Cross Oklahoma Relief Fund. Jenn Reed, Community Service Rep, pictured at our first SF table * special thanks go out to Joe Fishman for providing the high striker! 
ADL's Walk Against Hate took place on May 19th. Thank you to all those who joined and walked as team Merion Walkers, raising $140 for ADL's mission and supporting Merion's No Place for Hate program!
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The Children's Book Drive - donations were amazing thank you for so many wonderful books!
(Left) the S h a r e A B o o k donations of fiction & non fiction for ages 5-11 are now on their way to West Philadelphia elementary school libraries via local organization WePAC. And Merion's fabulous Girl Scouts have been busy raising funds to ship their learning-to-read books to Djibouti, Africa for their Bronze Project O p e r a t i o n R e a d I t A g a i n. Well Done girls!
5th Graders Karli Yenal, Nuala O'Neill, Xuan Feldman & Anna Dubnoff sorting books as everyone else leaves for spring break
The Winter Essentials Clothes Drive - thank you for the wonderful donations. We collected:
Children's Donations - for Cradles to Crayons 49 coats 11 vests 16 sweatshirts/sweaters 26 pairs of gloves/mittens 20 hats 7 scarves 1 earmuff 1 knit earwarmer 17 shirts 15 pairs of pants 3 pairs of pajamas Adult Donations - for Career Wardrobe & Menzfit 6 women's coats 4 men's coats Pictured, is Ryan Veak (KGPM) with donations at Cradles to Crayons. 
American Red Cross - thanks to Merion's generous donations, we were able to send $714.50 to the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.
Narberth Food Bank Drive - sadly postponed due to Hurricane Sandy and school closures. Looking to run 2013. More information will follow when scheduling confirmed.
Halloween Costume Drive - Hold on to your gently used costumes for 2013! A favorite drive that traditionally kicks off the school year couldn't run 2012 but Halloween Helpers will be back to collect this year so we'll be holding a drive. |
LINKS
Parents often ask us where they can find family friendly volunteer opportunities. The following organizations are open to families with elementary-age children volunteering and are very excited and grateful for your time and help: 
Organizations we have worked with:
Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org Turning Points for Children (foster care) www.turningpointsforchildren.org Merion Botanical Park www.botanicalsocietylm.org/index.html Peace for Puppies www.peaceforpuppies.org Lucy Belle's Rainbow www.lucybellesrainbow.org Doctor Without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org/home Meals on Wheels http://www.mainlinemealsonwheels.org Kidflicks www.kidflicks.org The Salvation Army Eliza Shirley House www.salvationarmy.org (ElizaShirleyHouse) Treats for Troops http://www.philatreatsfortroops.com/ Philabundance http://www.philabundance.org Halloween Helpers http://www.thehalloweenhelpers.com/ ASPCA http://www.aspca.org/ Anti-Defamation League http://www.walkagainsthate.org West Philadelphia Alliance for Children http://wepac.org Girl Scouts http://www.girlscouts.org Menzfit http://www.menzfit.org/ Career Wardrobe http://careerwardrobe.org/ Cradles to Crayons http://cradlestocrayons.org/philadelphia American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ Narberth Food Bank http://narberthcommunityfoodbank.org/ __________________________________________ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
