I get to see the impact really close to home

On a Thursday afternoon, a group of high school students pours into Center City Public Charter School. The students are visiting from Friendship Tech Prep Academy, a neighboring Ward 8 school, to volunteer at Center City’s monthly Joyful Food Market, which they adopted for the school year. The group begins their volunteer shift by bringing fresh produce into the building, while their guidance counselors proudly photograph their day of service. As the students prepare for families to arrive, they carefully arrange baskets of kale, oranges, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower, and stack bags of beans. Joseph, a high school junior, explains what sets this volunteer experience apart from his other community service projects in the city: “I get to see the impact really close to home,” he says. “When I walk through D.C., I usually see the same faces. I get to meet people in my community here,” he adds. Friendship Tech Guidance Counselor Julia echoes this sentiment. “Partnering with Martha’s Table makes a lot of sense for us because we want our students to have meaningful service opportunities—and this one is close to home.”