Martin Luther King Day was, once again, a “Day on, not off” in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.

While schools were closed, volunteers — adults and students — devoted their time to serving others.

As they’ve done for the last six years, volunteers gathered at Hillendale Elementary School in Pennsbury Township to make lunches for the needy. School Principal Steve Dissinger said the group there prepared 300 bag lunches — peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with cookies and apples — and quarts of turkey vegetable soup for Safe Harbor of Chester County located in West Chester.

They also made special cards and placemats for each lunch.

At Pocopson Elementary School, volunteers also kept a multi-year tradition going. Principal Andrew McLaughlin said the MLK Day theme there is “Kids helping kids.”

Students and adults made quilts and blankets for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and at A. I. DuPont Hospital in Wilmington.

At Charles F. Patton Middle School and Unionville High School, students teamed up and competed with counterparts from the Kennett Consolidated School District for a canned food drive benefitting the Kennett Community Food Cupboard.

According to UHS Principal Paula Massanari, more than 200 volunteers gathered almost 3,000 canned goods.

She said in an e-mail that other volunteers went to Tom’s River East High School in New Jersey to deliver small appliances, pillows, blankets and other needed items to that community that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. They also presented gift cards worth almost $3,000. Money for the cards was raised by various UHS clubs, Massanari said.

During the Jan. 22 School Board meeting, Superintendant John Sanville said he was proud to be part of a district that put “service over self.” That, he said, despite the fact that he now has to buy breakfast at Hank’s for KCSD Superintendant Barry Tomasetti. The Kennett group collected more food than their U-CFSD counterparts.

The Chadds Ford Historical Society also took part in remembering King. CFHS opened the John Chads House to the public. The last family to live in the 1725 house was the African-American family of Maryann Strand. They lived there for close to 19 years and were the last to live in the house before it was purchased and restored by the historical society, more than 40 years ago.

In the Barn Visitors’ Center were refreshments, a video showing some of Dr. King’s speeches, a coloring area for young visitors, exhibits and games.

Lead photo: Volunteers at Hillendale Elementary School make placemats to go along with the lunches being sent to Safe Harbor of Chester County. (Photo by Rich Schwartzman)