Red Bank Charter School’s annual Martin Luther King service breakfast was held Saturday at the Red Bank Charter School.  Designed to acquaint students with the meaning of service and to bring the community and service organizations together, the event has become a popular stop on the Red Bank circuit.

Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich stated that “the great thing about the Charter School is that they teach all the kids about the historical events and the reasons behind them.”

The annual Martin Luther King breakfast teaches the kids not only about Martin Luther King but about what it means to be of service.

Councilwoman Juanita Lewis added that “it’s always great to see community events where people come together”  and added that “it’s great to see everyone out and supporting the kids”.

Beth Hanratty at Friends of the Red Bank Public Library sees the annual breakfast as a great way for people to see what the community organizations in Red Bank are and to get involved. 

“It’s a great service” she said. 

Red Bank Safe Routes’ Jenny Rossano said that not only does the event provide an opportunity for the community and organizations to come together, but it’s also an opportunity for organizations to meet and possibly work together on projects of common interest. Red Bank Safe Routes is an organization dedicated to working not only on providing safe biking and walking routes to school but to increasing the overall safety and availability of walking and biking in Red Bank.

Building bridges and connections is what brought the Boys and Girls Club of Red Bank to the event. Shniece Perry, the Unit Director and Aaron Styles the Assistant Program Director attended their first breakfast at the Charter School this year.

“We hope to bridge the gap between the Boys and Girls Club and the Charter School,” Shniece said. “All Red Bank youth are welcome at the Boys and Girls Club.” 

The Boys and Girls Club of Red Bank is fairly new, having opened their doors at a new site here in 2009. Perry joined the club as unit director in April of 2010 and Styles and Perry are continually looking to developing projects that bring together everyone from youth to adults.