As part of the tenth edition of the Weapons of Mass Construction (WOMC) service series, the Princeton Varsity Club organized two service events this spring for Tiger student-athletes, including a “Garden Project” at several local Princeton sites and a Mother’s Day Picnic for families in the greater Princeton community. The PVC partnered with Princeton University’s Office of Community & Regional Affairs on the Garden Project, while the Mother’s Day Picnic was held in conjuncture with the HomeFront and Mathematica organizations.
As part of the Garden Project, Princeton student-athletes visited Community Park Elementary, Riverside Elementary School, John Witherspoon Middle School and Harriet Bryan House to prepare the outdoor gardens for spring planting. Student-athletes assisted with turning soil, landscaping, weeding, removing leaves, and prepping multiple beds that would be used for educational programming with the students. Additionally, volunteers at the Harriet Bryan House, a senior center that provides apartments for low income elderly residents, were able to assist in constructing handicap accessible tabletop planters.
To see additional photos from the Gardens Project please click here.
In addition to the Gardens Project, the PVC participated in its third annual Mother’s Day Picnic on Saturday, May 7, 2016, partnering with HomeFront and Mathematica. Tiger student-athletes spent their afternoon playing activities through out Valley Road Park which included an arts & crafts station, face painting, basketball games, wiffle ball competitions, frisbee and football tossing, kickball, karaoke, bingo, cornhole and much more! To add to the picnic, Tiger student-athletes helped coordinate frames and other craft materials for HomeFront participants to paint as a gift for their moms on Mother’s Day.
To view the above highlight video from the Mother’s Day Picnic, CLICK HERE.
To view a photo gallery from the Mother’s Day Picnic event, CLICK HERE.
For the last twenty years, HomeFront has established itself as an organization dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness in the Central New Jersey area. HomeFront’s staff provides resources and the basic necessities for those underprivileged families dealing with transient housing to reemerge into the community. Established in 1968, Mathematica is a policy research company that is devoted to social policy evaluation, in hopes of finding the best solutions to promote well-being and reduce poverty and homelessness numbers.
