King, an historical figure from the 1960s Civil Rights movement, is honored every year on the third Monday in January, which has been designated as the celebration of his birthday. He envisioned a “Beloved Community” where everyone would be equal and could feel a sense of belonging and many of the events planned this week are aimed at selfless acts of service.

The day for students at Saint John Neumann began with mass where Mayor Derek Slaughter spoke before they split up with grades nine through 12 traveling to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, according to Alisia McNamee, principal.

“Grades six through eight are packing what we call care bags for Sojourner Truth (Ministries). They include items that people who are less fortunate may need — pocket tissues, toothpaste, little bottles of water, chapsticks, socks, all types of things like that,” McNamee said.

Students in grades three through five were sorting and bagging an estimated 10,000 plastic Easter eggs for the joint annual Easter Egg Hunt for Saint Ann and Saint Boniface churches.

KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette Saint John Neumann Regional Academy students listen to a story about the life of Martin luter King Jr., read by Principal Alisia McNamee at the school on Monday.

“Grades pre-K to two are working on cards for community service workers, police, fire, ambulance, and EMT,” McNamee said. She noted that those projects will continue into Catholic Schools Week, which is next week.

“We will then collect donations and make baskets for each of the community service workers, include their cards and then go and deliver them throughout the community,” she said.

For Vince Cendoma, who was part of the group working on Easter eggs, doing that was a way to be like King who “helped people.”

“He was protecting Black people because white people didn’t like Black people and they had to go to different schools,” Cendoma said.

One of his classmates, Willow Reid, also understood the importance of the work they were doing.

“Martin Luther King cared for others and did things to help them,” Reid said. “So this is a way we can help others in our community,” she added.

McNamee also pointed out that community service is a large part of the mission at Saint John Neumann.

“So taking advantage and having the support of the families to come in and do this on this day, and then to continue it during Catholic Schools Week has been a long term goal of mine, and this is hopefully just the beginning. We hope that it just gets bigger and better from here,” she said.

McNamee, who was an educator for 21 years before becoming principal, said she feels that by serving others in honor of Dr. King is more illustrative of the kids living out his mission.

“It’s more impactful for the students to live that mission that he lived all those years ago, to do that education piece and to come in and physically give back. It’s a half day, so they still get their afternoon free. But what an impact to come and celebrate the word together. He was a minister, and he ministered to many people. We celebrated the word now we’re celebrating the service, and I think that makes an impact on the kids being here and participating on that day.”

She shared that all students at Saint John Neumann are required to do service hours outside of school as well.

“So this is also leading by example, modeling what we do and why we do it,” she said.

Because many of the parents had the day off work because of King’s birthday holiday, they were able to join their children for activities, McNamee noted.