Lindenwold's NJ After 3 Afterschool Students Join Forces with Wish Upon a Hero to Pay it Forward
December 1, 2010 - Lindenwold NJ - Dave Girgenti, founder of Voorhees-based social helping website, Wish Upon a Hero (www.wishuponahero.com), spoke with more than 100 children at Lindenwold middle school, as part of the Lindenwold’s EIRC -NJ After 3 program’s ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign.
Kim Liano, director of Lindenwold’s NJ After 3 program, notes that the children have been granting wishes on the Wish Upon a Hero website for more than a year through her “Pay it Forward” project , and were excited to meet the person who created the concept of using one website as a platform for wishers to wish, and heroes to grant wishes. Some of the wishes the students have granted include kitchen utensils, holiday cards (hand made), and birthday cards. Liano first implemented the ‘Pay it Forward’ program in 2009, with a clothing drive.
Girgenti, who launched Wish Upon a Hero in 2007, shared stories with the children about how the site came to reality, and some of the most unusual wishes granted by everyday heroes. He also talked about ways in which the children and their families can continue to be heroes in their own community - in Lindenwold.
More About Wish Upon a Hero
Wish Upon a Hero is the world’s largest social helping website -- a free, one-of a kind service designed to connect those in need with people who can change their lives. WUAH creates a peer-to-peer connection for charitable giving, bringing the wisher and the ‘hero’ together in a personal way. For more information, please visit: www.wishuponahero.com
More About Lindenwold's Pay it Forward Project
The EIRC- NJ After 3 Program at Lindenwold Middle School started its “Pay it Forward” project in November 2009, during “Pay it Forward” Month. The students viewed the film, “Pay it Forward,” and then began to brainstorm ideas about how they, as middle school students, could begin to pay it forward in their community. The only limitation was that the idea had to be something that could be accomplished in Lindenwold.
Each Enrichment class chose the best ideas as a group and then started working on their project. These activities included, thank you letters to teachers, holiday cards to the senior citizens, Christmas cards to soldiers in Iraq, a dinner for the evening custodians, wrapping holiday gifts for LMS staff, answering letters to Santa Claus written by elementary school students, and a clothing drive. Students generated ideas that were both large and small, but they were tasks that they could easily complete. The clothing drive began in January 2010. Clothes were collected for the entire month followed by an “Open Closet” night, hosted for families in the community.
The Pay it Forward Project continues throughout the school year to help support the needs in the school community. This program has been successful because the ideas have been produced by students. With the guidance of the NJ After 3 staff, students have made Lindenwold Middle School a better place, and are proud of their service to the community.
|
 |
For all media inquiries
New Jersey After 3:
Shannon Boehmer
Community Affairs & PR Manager
sboehmer@njafter3.org
732-246-7981
Wish Upon a Hero:
Carol Lunger
clunger@startoplin.com
215-793-4666x 115
|
