Martin Luther King Day has also become synonymous as a day of service, a day to give back to the community. This year, three area high school students who were recognized as essay winners and for humanitarian efforts at the 25th Annual YMCA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast on Jan 20, 2014, took this meaning to heart.
The Humanitarian Award winner this year was Aisha Bhoori, a senior at Middletown High School South. Aisha co-founded the not-for-profit Dreamers Without Borders, which collects food supplies for Afghan refugees who are housed at an immigration center and Tibetan refugees from a village school in India.
Essay Contest winter, Sahar Akbarzai, a senior at Old Bridge Regional High School, created a non-profit organization that provides school supplies to a village in Afghanistan, after witnessing first-hand the horrible conditions and depravations of the village school.
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Also an Essay Contest winner, Xavier Norman, a freshman at Monmouth Regional High School, spent the months after Superstorm Sandy volunteering and helping others in the wake of the devastation.
Each year, teens enrolled in Monmouth County YMCA programs are invited to submit essays reflecting on Dr. King’s words on how they can follow in his footsteps to improve the welfare of others and serve their community. The essay winners were each rewarded with a $500 scholarship.
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The Humanitarian Award is annually presented by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office to a student who exemplifies the definition of a humanitarian and conveys the character values of the Y: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. All high school students in Monmouth County were invited to apply. The award was presented by First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.
In addition to presenting the awards, the Ys collected non-perishable food items to support Lunch Break of Red Bank.
The annual event is hosted each year by The Community YMCA and the YMCA of Western Monmouth County. This year, Meridian Health and Sunrise Optimist Club sponsored the event.
Approximately 300 people attended the annual breakfast at Branches Catering in West Long Branch. The keynote speaker was Pastor Terrence K. Porter of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Red Bank, who received a proclamation from Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna and council for his dedicated service to the Red Bank community.
About The Community YMCA
The Y is a leading nonprofit charity that strengthens communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Community YMCA serves more than 20,000 residents in greater Monmouth County through programs such as: preschool, before and after school care, health and wellness, leadership, arts enrichment, personal and family counseling and summer day camp. With a mission to serve all, more than $650,000 in reduced and free membership fees and programs is provided by the YCares financial assistance program to individuals and families in need. For more information, visit TheCommunityYMCA.org.
About The YMCA of Western Monmouth County
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. We are a diverse association of men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life, joined by a shared commitment to nurture the potential of all people. For over 110 years, the YMCA of Western Monmouth County has the long standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. For more information, go to www.ymcanj.org
