Community and service projects have always been an integral part of Peddie student life, and throughout the year, there are always various opportunities to get involved. This year, working with Dean Brown and the Student Life team, Director of External Programs Mr. Truslow spearheaded the MLK Service initiative, which mandates community service for the student body.

This past weekend, which coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a no-class Saturday, Peddie completed its first MLK Service weekend. Sophomores and juniors were required to complete community service on either Saturday, January 17, or Monday, January 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), while freshmen volunteered at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), and seniors led donation drive efforts. Community service options included volunteering at NJ RISE’s thrift store and pantry, assisting at the local retirement community, Meadow Lakes, and various unique club activities.

The school hopes to make MLK Service weekend an annual tradition and to use this as a stepping stone for more community and service opportunities. 

“I think it was a successful first step in more events like this. We learned a lot, and we did a lot of great service,” Mr. Truslow said, commenting on the weekend’s results overall. “We heard raves from the people at Meadow Lakes about how well our students listened to stories, engaged with the residents, played, talked and had fun with them…we did some great work at RISE in their thrift store and pantry.”

Though there were challenges, Mr. Truslow remains optimistic for the future of Peddie’s community and service initiatives. 

“Working with Ms. Brown and Student Life on all of this has been refreshing and showcases a greater commitment by the school to put more resources behind Community & Service,” he said. He mentioned multiple goals for the future, and hopes to “[have] days like this be a stepping stone to more days, more individuals stepping ‘across the street’ on their own to do something at Meadow Lakes or RISE or wherever in town.” 

The weekend was met with a positive reception from both students and teachers, and only seeks to improve in the coming years. “We’ve already started finding new and better ways to reach out to local organizations in order to get more people to come to the events we plan for campus,” said Mr. Truslow.