Reported by Cassie Tammy Wang
In this holiday season, Greater Princeton AYLUS (GPA), NJ Branch remembers to embrace all in our community with joy and celebration, and therefore we launched a Year-Round “Humanitarian Care” Project on December 8th, 2018. Team Leader of GPA in West Windsor, Amber Yu, started her “Humanitarian Care” project with “A Day of Holiday Service” hosted by La Convivencia from 2:00-5:00 pm in the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church, located at 154 South Mill Road, to benefit Arm In Arm & RISE families.
Amber spread lots of holiday cheer by decorating Christmas cookies, writing cheerful messages of encouragement, and assembling hygiene kits. She wrote cheerful notes, made care packages, and assembled hygiene kits for Arm In Arm and RISE families. In addition, Amber helped set up tables for children activities, such as face painting, make a winter greeting card, etc. Through everybody’s efforts, “A Day of Holiday Service” decorated around 600 cookies and made over 300 care packages.
In her own words, Amber feels that this event was a great opportunity to give back to the local community. Each volunteer brought their talents and holiday cheer and were rewarded with smiles and laughter from residents and parents. The event was a great way to build trust across cultures and faiths through encouraging community service, civic engagement, and creating community collaboration. At the end, Amber had a chance to speak with the organization committee and get to know the future volunteer opportunities.
Besides volunteering service, participants also brought some personal care items to the event, such as lotion, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, razors & shaving cream, deodorant, laundry soap, feminine products, shaving cream, hairbrush, baby diapers & wipes, lightweight packaged snacks. Through all of those donations, together volunteers were making a difference in the lives of many.
In deed, a GREAT event for the whole family while getting to know other communities’ members and making new friends! Keep up good work Amber, and we’d like to see more GPA members to join our year-round “Humanitarian Care” project, working for various events, and helping out our beloved community!
