Although they had the day off from school, youngsters who participated in South Hills Interfaith Movement’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Family Volunteer Event received an education.
“I’m trying to teach the kids how to be good citizens and good neighbors, and to find something you care about that you can make a difference with,” Bethel Park resident Lindsay Flinn said.
She brought sons Dominic and Vincent to the Jan. 19 gathering at the SHIM center on South Park Road, joining other civic-minded adults and children as they participated in activities such as sorting items that were donated to the site’s food pantry, portioning bulk items, stocking shelves and creating flower bouquets for residents of nursing homes.
“We’ve never really done something like this, and the turnout has been huge,” Rachel White, SHIM development and communications manager said. “We’re really, really excited to see so many families taking part.”
The nonprofit, which has roots dating back to 1968, has the stated mission of mobilizing resources and implementing sustainable programs to help area residents with life’s necessities, with the goals of achieving self-sufficiency and building community.
“I think sometimes the need is silent or invisible, and we don’t realize how much help our neighbors really need,” Flinn said. “I know there’s a lot of instability and fear out there right now, and if we can do something small by helping with food insecurity or donating money if we have it, we can make that need a little less.”
In addition to the Bethel Park pantry, SHIM offers food distributions at its family center in West Mifflin and Baldwin United Presbyterian Church in Baldwin Borough.
“We’re seeing about 4,000 people benefiting from the pantries each month, and so it really takes a lot of the community’s involvement to keep up with the demand,” White said.
She referred to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event as “focused on letting parents bring younger kids so that they can learn about what we do, learn about food insecurity and learn that it’s not something to be ashamed of or pass judgment on. It’s just that sometimes people need a little help, and SHIM is here to help them.”
Katie Noel of Pleasant Hills, who started volunteering with the organization during the summer, appreciated the educational component on behalf of her son, Eli, and daughter, Lucy.
“I think it’s really important for kids to understand helping out and being involved in their community, to be exposed to people who don’t have maybe what they have every day, and to just understanding how much work goes into helping people with their food, their clothing and any of their needs,” she said.
For Mt. Lebanon resident Arpita Choudhury, who attended with husband Joshua Young and daughter Roxanne, the volunteer event represented an opportunity the family had been seeking.
“It’s really hard to find events that include kids. And so when we saw this was something that was open to the entire family, we jumped on it and signed up,” Choudhury said. “It’s great that they really engage the kids and there’s a variety of things to do, and hopefully we’ll be able to volunteer in the future.”
Lindsey Boyko of Bethel Park said that by taking part in the event with her sons, Theo and Jamie, she hoped to teach them “the fact that, one, it makes you feel good to help, and two, we’re really lucky to be able to have time and resources to help others.”
“And they’ve had a great time,” she said. “This was incredibly fun.”
For more information about South Hills Interfaith Movement, visit shimcares.org.