NJ Youth Corps volunteer at Let's Celebrate

NJ Youth Corps have been volunteering with non-profit group  "Let's Celebrate" over the past six months, helping to service clients in the food pantry and soup kitchen. Our students have gained a great appreciation for working with those in need. It is a part of their 150 hour community service commitment to the Youth Corps program. A few of our Youth Corps students commented on their experience thus far working at "Let's Celebrate".

Joel: I just like helping people. You have to talk to everybody, even if they don't speak English. So you are always learning a lot. Plus you are helping out your community. 

Ebony: We get to interact with different people every week. You learn to be patient and have courtesy. 

We are grateful to have a work-site such as "Let's Celebrate" for our students to gain important and relevant skills that will certainly help them on their next job in the future. 

“Moving from hunger to wholeness”

Let’s Celebrate moves people from hunger to wholeness through nutrition, financial, supportive and affordable housing services. For more info please visit their website: http://www.letscelebrateinc.org/

NJ Youth Corps Service in the Community (Part 1)

On Wednesday October 9th, NJ Youth Corps worked locally in the Jersey City community servicing a resourceful food pantry as well as the historical Loews Theater.

"Lets Celebrate" is a non profit agency that works to help people in need with donated groceries and other social services such as financial education and affordable housing. NJ Youth Corps worked as a team to help stock their pantries and prepare bags of food for the clients stopping in. It was a very humbling experience for our students, especially the few that lived right up the street and recognized some of the people in need. Unfortunately, issues such as hunger effect many individuals and families regardless of race, gender and even career status. Even some of those that have jobs, struggle with low wages or lack of full time employment and find it difficult to afford three square meals a day. NJ Youth Corps engaged with some of these individuals and families by serving up hot lunch meals for them.

At the Loews Theater, the staff assisted in organizing and cleaning efforts. They swept, mopped and moved various items to different locations in the theater. The management was very appreciative of Youth Corps efforts. These community service projects will continue throughout the finish of 2014 leading into 2015.