Out & About: CommunityCare of Lyme hosts volunteer potluck for MLK Day

By LIZ SAUCHELLI

Valley News Staff Writer

Published: 01-12-2024 8:08 PM

LYME — CommunityCare of Lyme will host a volunteer potluck meal on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The event ties in with the roots of the federal holiday which was established by Congress in 1983 as a “national day of service.” It will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the CommunityCare of Lyme living room, located in the Lyme Center Academy Building, at 183 Dorchester Road. Participants are asked to register online at https://ccl.breezechms.com/form/MLKPotluck24.

One of the goals of the potluck is to celebrate the community’s volunteers and make plans for the future. The nonprofit organization helps connect residents to services, as well as organizes dozens of volunteers for a variety of projects, including an annual day of service.

“We have pockets of volunteers who do different things and it really is fun to bring people together to hear where they see the value and where they see the gaps,” said Kathleen Sherrieb, who is a member of the nonprofit organization’s board and serves as the coordinator of the Lyme Food Pantry.

While CommunityCare of Lyme has held volunteer appreciation events in the past, this is the first year it has hosted one on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dan Freihofer, the group’s interim board chairman, said the event is meant as a thank you to volunteers “and to keep people motivated to help out.”

The event also will allow volunteers to share their experiences with each other, including how they work volunteering into their everyday lives, Sherrieb said.

“Even if you get one new volunteer to meet one more experienced volunteer it’s worth it,” she said.

Here’s a look at other Upper Valley events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

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Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.