Volunteering at the Gural JCC on MLK Day

Volunteers numbered 120 at the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC Harrison-Kerr Family Campus in Lawrence to help assemble goody bags with dental hygiene products for children who are in need, while also honoring the legacy Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

The Jan. 20 event titled the MLK 2020 Day of Service, Warm Smiles Project was held in conjunction with the Nassau County Dental Society, a group that seeks to educate county residents on dental hygiene. Event organizers said the goal to come together through service to honor MLK’s legacy. There were 1,500 bags assembled by volunteers and they included toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. Volunteers were spread out among four stations.  

Gural JCC CEO Aaron Rosenfeld said the volunteers should be proud for taking part. “Take a look around at everybody here right now to see how many people came out today,” Rosenfeld said. “It always important to keep in mind Dr. King’s message that the time is always right to do what is right.” 

The volunteerism at the JCC extended beyond Five Towns residents, as 14-year-old Bronx resident Elijah Cherry and his mother, Cindy, discussed their own philanthropic efforts. “About two years ago, we were walking by homeless people in Manhattan who were barefoot,” Elijah said. “I came up with the idea of doing a sock drive.” He learned what the Gural JCC does through the Rising Stars basketball team he plays on. He does the sock drive around the holidays and had extra pairs of socks that he brought to the event. “I just wanted to help others,” he said. “That’s why I started the drive and that’s why I’m here today.”

JCC Volunteer Services Manager Laurie Brofsky said the bags will be delivered to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City and be given to underprivileged children in the county at the museum during the Dental Society’s Give Kids a Smile Day on Feb. 7. 

Brofsky said that she was blown away by the event’s turnout. “With a big turnout at an event like this, you always about if the volunteers can keep busy and have enough things to do,” she said. “But luckily, everything stayed organized and everyone put in great work.” 

JCC Associate Executive director Stacey Feldman said that signups filled up fast. “We allowed volunteers to sign up online and we quickly maxed out,” Feldman said. “We had to stop taking sign ups after 120 people.” 

Motivational speaker and author Irwin Pfeffer spoke to the volunteers before they began their work detailing King’s life history. He noted the positive impact their volunteerism will have on the world. “We’re all here to help others and that is something heals the world,” Pfeffer said. “If Dr. King were here to see this today, he’d be so proud of all your efforts.”