With everything that’s been going on in the world, we could all use a little bit more kindness. Help is needed not only locally but globally as well, so a town-wide day of service was created by SBRHS siblings Lindsey and Casey Arruda. They are calling it “We Stand Strong Somerset” and volunteers will be helping people from as close to home as Somerset and Florida, to as far away as Puerto Rico and Syria.

Help spread the kindness and even earn some of those much needed community service hours by volunteering. It will be held on Saturday, October 14th, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. with a meeting point at the Somerset Open Air Market (SOAM) located on the grassy area on the corner of Riverside and Newhill Ave. Volunteers will need to check in, then will be assigned a service project. Walk-on volunteers are also welcome.

Projects that volunteers will be working on that day include teaching people how to use their technology (smart phones, laptops, etc); beautifying the grounds at the high school and town library; forming a “bucket brigade” at Auclair’s Market, Somerset Grille and SOAM to collect goods and cash donations for the recent hurricane victims; collecting gently used eyeglasses for the refugees and those in need; picking up leaves and branches near the Church of Our Saviour; and painting Kindness Rocks.

The Arruda siblings hope to make this an annual event that will expand to include neighboring towns as well. News of this has already spread outside of the SBRHS community. The Diman Regional High School Key Club has decided to donate all of their monetary donations and goods collected to the project. Diman National Honor Society students have been hard at work organizing fundraisers and collection drives to help the hurricane victims.

Volunteers will be given their very own We Stand Strong wristband, while supplies last. Also, Netflix Star Leon Logothetis from the show the “Kindness Diaries” has agreed to donate one of his books to a schoolchild for every postcard that is filled out about how they helped spread the kindness. Postcards will be located at the SOAM and SBRHS volunteer locations. Students wishing to use this as an opportunity to earn community hours should download documentation forms from the high school’s website or obtain copies from the Guidance Office. Only a few copies will be on hand that day. Make sure to bring them with you and obtain the necessary signature.

Too busy to volunteer on that day? How about donating or taking up a collection of your own. Donation boxes for gently used eyeglasses and non-perishable goods can be found all over town, at all of the schools, the library, the Council on Aging, Auclair’s Market and the Town Hall. Volunteers can sign up at the guidance office in the high school, at the library and town hall, or by sending an email to the organizers at [email protected]. For up to the minute details you can follow the We Stand Strong Facebook page or by contacting Lindsey and Casey Arruda directly.