On the Dr. Martin Luther King Day, January 21st, 2019, we remember Dr. King because of all the great works he did for our nation and all the sacrifices he had to make in order to help others. Following Dr. King’s example, a group of the Greater Princeton AYLUS (GPA) members took the opportunity to help out our community through service.
GPA President Cassie Tammy Wang, Team Leader Han Li, and member Amy Lin, went to HomeFront in Mercer County (1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648) to help sort food. They also learned about how HomeFront helps struggling homeless families get back on their feet. The organization has been in existence for 28 years now, founded by Mrs. Connie Mercer, and during that time they have grown very large.
The organization accepts homeless families and houses them in a complex called the Family Campus. It provides food, education, medical care, and more to help the homeless improve their lives. One important thing that HomeFront does is to provide career counseling for adults working in low-level jobs so that they can find a better career path and become self-sufficient. Cassie Tammy Wang, Han Li, and Amy Lin each spent 3 hours working at the HomeFront.
While Cassie, Han, and Amy were at the food pantry of HomeFront, GPA members Ming Li and Thomas Zhao went to multiple art-related projects in Princeton and the surrounding area. They participated in the Princeton Art Council MLK Day Community Event, where they decorated a mural of King’s famous quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive hate, only love can do that.” They also signed the Birmingham Pledge, a statement of equality and support for all people.
Afterwards, Ming and Thomas also went to the HomeFront and created origami and paintings to decorate the Family Campus, where the homeless families lived. This helped brighten up the families’ day and made the space even more personal. Overall, Ming Li and Thomas Zhao each spent 4 hours today volunteering in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King!
Dr. King once said, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.” Today we honor Dr. King’s legacy by serving and helping others. Throughout all the events, the members of GPA were enriched and motivated to keep on working for the community.
A Note from GPA President Cassie Tammy Wang:
GPA encourages its members to learn more about the HomeFront (https://www.homefrontnj.org/) as there are many ways that our members could be of help. It fits into GPA’s year-round Humanistic Care Project well.
Team Leader Han Li has been appointed “HomeFront Project Leader”, who will take charge of maintaining a good relationship with HomeFront and organizing volunteer services when more opportunities show up in the near future.
