NEWBURGH – Newburgh Girl Power held its Fourth Annual Martin Luther King Day of Service for Girls on Monday. It was truly a day on, and not a day off for these young folks.
Martin Luther King Day of Service for Girls is an event for girls ages 9 to 18. On this day their goal is to empower girls to know that they are stronger together. Sharing Dr. Martin Luther King’s visions they hope to inspire girls to know that they have the solutions to strengthen their community.
This year participants engaged in a community service scavenger hunt, which included random acts of kindness. Those acts of kindness included “blessing backpacks for the homeless.” The groups of girls assembled blankets, and water bottles, amongst other items, as well as a hand written note with words of encouragement for each backpack that will be delivered to area shelters for distribution.
Thank you cards were also created for the City of Newburgh firefighters. These notes not only contained words of encouragement, but gratitude to those brave people who risk their lives everyday to ensure the safety of the community. The City of Newburgh Police received “lifesaver appreciation bags,” each filled with an assortment of treats.
The day of service also had the young girls preparing “Valentines for Veterans.” Each group created a special valentine card to show their appreciation for our Hudson Valley Heroes. They contained messages of thanks, love and gratitude and were given to US Rep. Maloney who will deliver them to veterans.
Keynote speaker Maritza Calderon-Caballero spoke to those assembled and shared her life’s story, encouraging each girl to reach her full potential. The girls also learned about women who changed history, all before sharing a nice lunch.
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