April 25th proved to be much more than the first summer-like day of the season. It was a joyous day of work and community, which united BFS families and members of Brooklyn Monthly Meeting (BMM) in projects to benefit the larger community.
Nancy Black, a Quaker and BFS alum parent, who has a long-affiliation with the school put it all in context when she said, "Never in 30 years, can I recall BFS and Brooklyn Monthly Meeting doing service together. This is a milestone...”
The planning of the annual Family Day of Service began in late December 2008, under the leadership of PAT Community Service Co-chairs Julie Lam and Susan McLeod. It didn’t take long for the committee (with April DiComo, Melissa Coad, John Major, Sheila Barksdale and Carla Precht) to decide this year to demonstrate -- in deeds and not words -- how deeply BFS appreciates Brooklyn Monthly Meeting and its vital and steady role in the school community.
What was originally to be a simple sprucing up of the Quaker Meetinghouse soon turned into a much more involved and glorious day that included work, but also sharing and reflecting.
“After all was said and done," Julie Lam said with a twinkle in her eye and a big smile on her face, "more than 200 people young and old, from the Brooklyn Friends School and Brooklyn Monthly Meeting, accomplished the following:
- Organized and donated 110 hygiene kits for Brooklyn Monthly Meeting’s Community Dinner guests, including hand-made buttons by students and more than 500 items of seasonal clothing;
- Created 15 beautifully beaded tissue paper centerpieces, and decorated the Meetinghouse bulletin board
- Assembled a brand-new outdoor bench made of sustainably harvested wood, donated by BFS for the Meetinghouse garden, complete with a plaque of appreciation;
- Improved the soil in the Meetinghouse garden and planted perennials and annuals;
- Organized books and historical documents in the Meetinghouse library and archives;
- Baked delicious Madelines and brownies for the BMM Community Dinner guests (under the leadership of BFS French teacher Madame Perry);
- Donated a wonderful piece of original student art by several Upper School students, under the leadership of 10th grade student, artist and Quaker, Miranda von Salis. The art is now hanging in the Meetinghouse social room for all to enjoy.
- Enjoyed a significant 15-minute opening silence, a delicious lunch with chili, salad, and freshly squeezed lemonade and homemade deserts, plus a closing ceremony with songs including “This Little Light of Mine” and “Simple Gifts.”