Parents’ Association Leads the Way on Community Service Day

On Thursday, January 23, the entire Lower School division was invited to participate in Lower School Community Service Day. Held on a day off between Semester 1 and Semester 2, the Winsor Parents’ Association arranged and organized this year’s volunteer opportunities partnering with Cradles to Crayons and Community Servings for the event. 

“Coordinating Community Service Day was incredibly rewarding,” shared Community Service Parent Co-Chair Boriana Alexiev P’31. “Students came together with enthusiasm, making a real impact and gaining a deeper sense of purpose. It was a meaningful and memorable experience for all.”

In the leadup to the day of service, the PA organized a two-day school-wide collection drive for Cradles to Crayons. Timed to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday and following the long weekend, donation bins were available during morning drop off and afternoon pick up. Cradles to Crayons accepts a wide variety of new and gently used items for children of all ages and the Winsor community rose to the occasion bringing in clothing, winter coats and jackets, shoes, and more. 

Cradles to Crayons uses a three-step model to provide kids with the essentials they need, free of charge. The process starts by collecting new and nearly new children’s items through grassroot community drives like the one held at Winsor. The donations are processed and packaged by volunteers before being distributed through a collaborative network of diverse service partners. Students in Class I, Class II, and Class III helped sort donations including cleaning and pairing shoes at the Cradles to Crayons warehouse in Newton. They also learned about childhood clothing insecurity from the Cradles to Crayons staff.

For Class IV, the PA planned a cooking session with Community Servings in Jamaica Plain. The organization, which makes and delivers more than 1,000,000 meals annually, actively engages the community to provide scratch-made medically tailored meals to individuals and their families experiencing critical or chronic illness and nutrition insecurity. Students worked in the kitchen and the group was divided into three-hour shifts.

Community Service Parent Co-Chair Jessica Kong P’31 added, “Participating in Community Service Day was both rewarding and inspiring. Seeing so many people come together to make it happen was truly amazing. It was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, learn, and contribute to something meaningful. I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished together!”

Over 180 student and parent volunteers participated in Lower School Community Service Day. Thank you for helping us make a difference!