On Saturday January 19th, The Closet partnered with the Reston Community Center, the Southgate Community Center, the Reston Association, and Cornerstones in service projects honoring Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. King’s legacy. Members of the community came to the center to perform a range of projects, one of which was sorting and organizing toys to be sold at The Closet. The sale of these toys will then benefit the community, as The Closet’s profits after expenses go back to local community non-profit organizations and to college scholarships for local students.
Organized by Laura Greenspan, The Closet’s volunteer coordinator for toy sales, this project brought together kids of all ages, from about 7 to 70. They sorted toys by categories, checked out games and puzzles for completeness, checked battery operated toys, bagged toys for sale at the store, and a range of other jobs necessary to ensure the quality of the toys sold at The Closet. As is obvious from the pictures, this was a time where important work was accomplished, and during which the volunteers also had a good time.
Volunteers included adults, teenagers and children from throughout the community, including members of the Omicron Kappa Kappa chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated and from Ismaili Community Engaged-in Responsible Volunteering (i-CERV). The team efforts between the adults and the kids, who brought with them a knowledge of today’s toys, was heart-warming and helped ensure the success of this project.
The Closet would like to thank the staff and volunteers of the Reston Community Center, the Southgate Community Center, and the Reston Association who helped to organize this event. Above all, The Closet would like to thank the volunteer children, parents, and other adults who came out, worked hard, contributed greatly to The Closet’s toy sales inventory, and helped to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.