First Presbyterian members take part in Service Day
Early Saturday morning, April 21, a total of 100 members of the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, including 15 children, gathered at the church to participate in its third annual Service Day.
Coffee, juice, and doughnuts fortified the volunteers as they prepared to depart to five local community service organizations they would serve later that morning and to construct Mother’s Day cards, paper flowers and table decorations for homebound residents of The Moorings and Luther Village.
The volunteers departed in five groups to the Arlington Heights Senior Center, Clearbrook, CEDA Northwest, Faith Community Homes, and WINGS (Women In Need Growing Stronger), where they served those organizations in a variety of ways.
Among the projects completed were landscaping work and flower planting for the senior center; befriending and working with Clearbrook residents and helping to clean and organize items in the resale shop; yard work and garage cleaning at a CEDA facility; furniture moving, food sorting and assembling first aid kits for Faith Community Homes; and cleaning, painting, wallpaper removal, yard work, and organizing the food pantry for WINGS.
A multigenerational group of volunteers remained at the church to make Mother’s Day cards, paper flowers, and table decorations for homebound residents of The Moorings and Luther Village. Church member Jan Bone had visitors to the Senior Center singing and dancing to her piano playing as members worked outside.
Associate Pastor Barbara Gorsky, who visited all the work sites that morning, noted, “Our members enjoy the fun, fellowship, and satisfaction they receive from working on Service Day, and the organizations we serve are most appreciative of the work we do for them.
“It’s a great opportunity to help organizations in our community that do so much for those in need. We were also pleased that Mother Nature smiled on us with a clear, cool day.”
Elizabeth Gardham, director of community resources for WINGS, expressed her view of Service Day in the following email statement: “Thanks again for all your hard work — you have a great group of people!
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