Shortly before the Pennington School headed off-campus for Thanksgiving Break, the Community Service Club led a Chapel service centered around the theme of gratitude. Together with the club’s faculty coordinator, co-leaders of the group took the opportunity to underscore the value of service and the importance of gratitude as we head into the holiday season. Kicking things off with a poem by George Eliot, senior Julia S.’s recitation invited the audience to embrace simple acts of kindness: “One self-denying deed, one word/That eased the heart of him who heard,/One glance most kind/That fell like sunshine where it went -.”

Recounting memories of time spent with her Girl Scout troop helping out at Fisherman’s Mark, Amelia B. ’26 highlighted the many benefits of volunteerism. Community service through Amelia’s eyes is as much about the many things she gains as it is about any sacrifices she makes when dedicating time towards a cause. “Community service gives you perspective. You meet people whose lives look nothing like yours, and it helps you understand the world in a more real way.” she said. Additionally, Amelia has learned empathy through community service: “It’s one thing to know people struggle. It’s another to stand with them, talk to them, listen, laugh, and make them feel less alone.” She encouraged her peers to donate their time to a cause they believe in, assuring them that such efforts help build connections, clarifying the impact we make and our own place in the world.  

Interim English Department Chair and Teacher of English Stephanie Cohen, who additionally serves as the faculty coordinator for the Community Service Club, also took the opportunity at Chapel to share from personal experience. Prior to becoming a teacher, Cohen worked in Trenton at a prison for eight years, facilitating literature programs for incarcerated individuals through a nonprofit called People and Stories. “This job humbled me as challenging experiences will do,” confided Cohen, who fervently believes that “community service, also called service learning, is really human learning and human loving.” As Cohen explained, “It’s not about one 'better off' group helping out a less fortunate group. It’s about having a heart that is open and generous and curious and humble. A heart that knows you are no better than anyone else and we are all creatures who need one another.”

As Chapel concluded, Kendall S.’26 reminded those in attendance about the club’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive with local community nonprofit partner, Arm in Arm. To encourage participation, the drive is structured as a competition between classes to see who can bring in the most food. Among the items requested were stuffing mix, canned vegetables, soup, gravy, and various seasonings.