The History of Millburn's CS - Give For Good Millburn

On June 26th, 2023, Tara, now the founder of the most prestigious community service organization in Millburn and everlasting activist for the growth of our society, had an extremely interesting and helpful website design class. Within the first five minutes of class, her awesome teacher had asked, “So, what ideas do you have for your website?”.

Tara was stumped! It was only until she had remembered watching a video on YouTube the night prior that explained how 73% of admitted students in Harvard had done some form of community service to benefit their community. Being the try-hard person she is, Tara decided to create a website that promoted the “greenness” of the community she resided in.

What I realized:

Now a newly contributor to her community, (five days later from when she first came across the idea), she realizes the true effects of a united society with each person striving to maintain and go beyond Millburn’s legacy of being a model of kindness and goodwill.

When one volunteers, they make connections with other volunteers to tackle challenges facing their community. Thus, even helping out with a small task can make a big difference in the lives of others. Keep it green!

“Volunteering is important because it provides engagement with others, teamwork, and the feeling of 3completing a goal,” said Pennie Stagnitta, director of Food For The Poor’s Volunteer Program. “Volunteering reminds you how blessed you truly are. It is good for your soul!”

No alternative text description for this image — Pennie Stagnitta, FFTP’s Volunteer Coordinator, who received the President’s Award for Excellence from FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine for launching and growing a successful volunteer program.

Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Moreover, volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need.

The real-world benefits of one’s service to the community could also mean offering wellness options that expand accessibility for local residents, such as an exam with payment available on a sliding scale or for free. Think of the number of people and families who wouldn’t be able to access quality healthcare if these hospitals no longer received funding. Instead of taking a step back, community service gives us the opportunity to raise awareness with our actions and strengthen existing opportunities for community-based care.

A Decrease in Violence

The Brennan Center found that “in a city of 100,000, each new nonprofit community organization lead to a 1.2 percent drop in the homicide rate, a one percent reduction in the violent crime rate, and a 0.7 percent reduction in the property crime rate”.
Community service benefits the entire community, impacting future generations and leaders. Volunteering activities act as a defensive tool within low-income communities that have experienced the increase in violence. It offers an after-school experience that protects youth who might journey down less savory paths. As a result, it is incredibly beneficial to youth and their families, ultimately contributing to a lower mortality rate in these communities.