2010-11 was a very exciting year for community service and Service Learning at The Haverford School. The Haverford community participated in the Annual Can Drive, raising approximately 1,700 cans per grade level, plus the Can Dance, for which admission could be paid in cans. These cans are donated to low-income elders and the homeless in Philadelphia, as well as our local communities. For the annual Spring Concert, the Haverford School Orchestra joined the Musicopia Orchestra to delight both communities with their music. Musicopia is an organization that seeks to provide the opportunity of providing access to music to underserved students all over the Delaware Valley. Last year, Haverford was able to raise just over $10,000 for this great cause. In addition to projects of our own, we regularly work with different schools in the community to help give back.
The Service Board has collaborated with The Agnes Irwin School to tackle some large projects over the last couple years. Two years ago, Haverford hosted its first Relay for Life, a marathon of walking that raises money from sponsors for all types of cancer. The event was brought to Haverford by Registrar Susan Reynolds and spearheaded by a joint-school student organizing committee, which raised more than $2,000. The combined efforts for fundraising brought in more than $30,000 for cancer support and services. Last year, Agnes Irwin hosted the biannual Empty Bowls, for which both schools created ceramic bowls. Supporters paid to eat soup from the bowls and took the bowls home as reminder that we continue the fight for hunger. The significance of Empty Bowls is to raise awareness about hungry children and families in our communities while raising money to help provide services and food.
Looking forward, we have many exciting events coming up for the Haverford community to get involved in this year. Nearly every weekend in the fall there will be a walk in Philadelphia benefiting a different charity … consider coming out with us to represent Haverford and support these wonderful causes. Later in the fall we will have the Annual Can Drive and we will collect cans in all three divisions to donate to The Life Center of Delaware County, St. Barnabas’ homeless shelter, and the Saturday for Seniors program at the Old Pine Church in Philadelphia, feeding low- and fixed-income senior citizens dinner twice a week. Each year these partners depend on our generosity to feed their communities. This is just a preview of more than 50 projects we have this year for you to get involved in. Please stop by the Service Learning Center in the Upper School to find out about upcoming events; and “like” us on Facebook to stay updated with details and pictures from all of the events.
Thank you for all you do to support the community around us!
Fitz Tepper & Amar Patel
Co-Presidents
Haverford Student Service Board, 2011-12