1. R IDGEFIELD P UBLIC S CHOOLS C OMMUNITY S ERVICE P ROJECT 2015-2016 Mr. Skunca: Advisor Ms. Mrsic: Social Worker Intern Mrs. Thrower: Vice Principal

2. P ROGRAM GOALS Field Trips: Community Food Bank of NJ Hoboken Shelter Rebeka Verea Foundation Ridgefield Environmental Commission Reflection Papers and Project: Project overview and goals Personal experience and take-away’s Future aspirations and volunteerism More sites in the Ridgefield community “Going to the food bank really changed my look on life.” (Alec Gulluian)

3. C OMMUNITY F OOD B ANK OF N EW J ERSEY The Community Food Bank distributes more than 40 million pounds of food annually through their programs and more than 1,200 partner charities that include pantries, soup kitchens, programs for children and the elderly, and shelters. Fulfilling its mission to fight hunger and to engage all sectors of society in this effort, the Food Bank feeds more than 1 million hungry people annually. www.cfbnj.org “It felt good to make a change and help out.” (Victoria Kulhan)

4. Community Food Bank of New Jersey “My first thought being there was, “why are we here and this is pointless. But as we got work done, I actually felt good about it.” (Joshua Miller) “I had never done anything like it before and was quite surprised at how much fun it was.” (Esther Lee)

5. “ Volunteering opened my eyes to how selfishly I can live my life, and also how sheltered and blessed I’ve been.” (Vera Selimaj) “It upset me to see so many with thin or little clothes in winter.” (Esther Lee) “I am now grateful when I sit down to eat or when I buy anything new that is not a necessity.” (El Hussien Saad) “ I would love to come back and wouldn’t think twice about it.”(Alexandra Calles) “This trip really opened my eyed to how some people see food as more of a gift, than as the basic right it should be.” (Madeline Pfaff) “When the food was being served, I watched them smile as they received their food and it was nice knowing I was a part of the reason for that smile on their face. (Michael Shaffer)

6. THE HOBOKEN SHELTER The Hoboken shelter houses 50 people nightly, serves 500 meals daily, hosts 1,000 showers weekly, and provides such support services as food, shelter, case management, counseling, job and life skills, training, creative arts workshops, emergency homelessness prevention grants, and permanent supportive housing solutions. (http://hobokenshelter.org)http://hobokenshelter.org) “As I move through life, I think I will always be involved in community service. Not only because I think its important, but because it is something I enjoy and look forward to.” (Austin Campbell)

7. Hoboken Shelter “I was touched that the food recipients said a prayer before eating in which they thanked the volunteers.” (Alessia Minassian)

8. C AREER D AY 2016

9. R EBEKA V EREA FOUNDATION “ The trip was an eye-opening experience which impacted me deeply.” -Asma Barakat R EBEKA V EREA A PRIL 24, 1987-J UNE 20, 2005 R EBEKA WAS 18 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE DIED ON G RADUATION NIGHT. T HIS FOUNDATION IS IN MEMORY OF HER, TO SAVE LIVES OF OTHER TEENS AND AWARENESS TOWARDS SPEED DRIVING. “Sometimes in order to really understand something, you need to become involved. This trip is one that I will forever remember and hope will continue on in the following year of RMHS.” (Madeline Valdez )

10. L ET ’ S K EEP THE E NVIRONMENT C LEAN  May 18 th -9:30 am- 1 pm – Clean Sweep/Litter Removal Program  Picking Up: – Bottles – Cans – Electronics – Etc.