Volunteers gather on a cold morning in Whites Road Park, Lansdale, for a cleanup as part of MLK Day of Service.
Volunteers from the Boston Legacy Foundation and AAA Catering joined by state Rep. Steve Malagari, Diana Doherty of the VNA Foundation, Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine, community volunteers, members of the Lansdale Catholic Football Team, and scouts from several troops, all braved the cold weather to help clean area parks as part of the MLK Day of Service event.
Giving back to the community is the foundation of this national holiday and MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
The local service event is also designed to continue to recognize the legacy of Dr. Frank Boston, the founder of the Elm Terrace Hospital, which is now Jefferson Lansdale Hospital, the founder of the VMSC ambulance service and a pioneer in EMS services. For anyone who may be unaware of this local hero, a documentary film is being developed to further educate the community about the remarkable doctor, surgeon, and community volunteer.
"Dr. Boston may also be the original ‘Meals on Wheels’ as he would often deliver food to the needy when he made house calls,” said George Whitehair, executive director of the Boston Legacy Foundation.
"In its fourth year, this community volunteer event continues to grow each year,” said Whitehair.
"While initially focusing on Whites Road Park in Lansdale, volunteers were also sent across the area to share the spirit of volunteerism and clean up additional parks,” added Dr. Rob DeFinis, also a member of the Boston Legacy Foundation and the coordinator for this event.
For their hard work, volunteers were provided a free meal courtesy of Chef Chipper of AAA Catering, located at 211 W. Main St Lansdale. Chef Chipper’s dedication to the community goes beyond this one day. His food service management company produces over 35,000 early learner meals a week, that are distributed throughout Philadelphia and surrounding communities. "We service over 75 centers, the majority of which are facilitated by the PA Dept of Education, and funded by Child and Adult Care Food Program,” said Alfred Panico (Chip), the owner of AAA Catering, "and are proud to support this annual event of giving back to the community.”
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