Community gathers for night of unity

More than 50 organizations from around Monroe County and Pleasant Valley School District filled the A.A. Smith Gymnasium with music, food, dancing, games and displays during the 18th Annual Night of Unity.

“What a great opportunity to bring the community together. This event is not only for the community to be together, but to find out what’s out there and spread our wings,” said Susan Mowrer Benda, Pleasant Valley’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction and a member of the Diversity Task Force.

The task force consists of members from the school district and the community. It sponsors and plans the event.

“Members of the task force come together to show ways we are more alike than different,” she said. “I love that this event is so varied. We have groups representing art, religion, education, health care and more.”

Participants include the Eldred Township Historical Society, Pennsylvania 4-H, Monroe County United, Family Promise of Monroe County, Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network, West End Food Pantry, Cartesion Dance Academy, Grundsow Lodge #6 of Monroe County, McElligott School of Irish Dance, St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Pennsylvania State Police and Western Pocono Community Library.

While dance academies performed near the bleachers, kids and parents were playing various games at The Growing Place’s area.

“This event helps us appreciate diversity and richness of other cultures,” said Irene Stolzenberg, past president of Temple B’Nai Harim in Pocono Pines.

Guests to her table could sample a piece of hamantaschen, a triangle-shaped pastry with different kinds of filling such as strawberry and apricot. Guests also could read about the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, which begins the evening of March 20 and ends on the evening of March 21.

“Purim is a day of nonsense and fun with masks, noisemakers and costumes. It’s a day to celebrate freedom and women’s rights,” she said.

Many groups offered some sort of food to sample. The Pleasant Valley K-12 English Language Development Program had Mexican and Turkish dishes — including tres leches cake and halva, which is a dense, sweet Turkish dessert.

“A great way to share heritage is through food. No one brings a bad recipe to the party,” said Mowrer Benda.

In another area of the high school’s gymnasium, students signed a large poster with the words “Promise to Build Empathy And Respect Schoolwide.”

“Our displays bring awareness to what bullying is and how we can stop it,” said Josephine Fields, assistant principal of Pleasant Valley Middle School and member of the anti-bullying task force.

Girl Scout Troop 382, which meets at St. Matthew’s UCC in Kunkletown, also wants to stop bullying and chose it as a project to earn their Silver Award.

The girls worked together to research the topic, design a colorful pamphlet, get price quotes from printing companies and decide on places and events to distribute it.

“I am proud of them. They put it all together,” said Marie Link, troop leader.

Tuesday’s event was their first time handing out the pamphlet. Some girls remained at their table, while others walked down the aisles and handed them out to attendees.

They also plan to go to the West End Food Pantry and the West End Fair to hand out their pamphlet and raise awareness.

Approximately 20 high school students are part of Pleasant Valley Aevidum, a new club that means “I’ve got your back.”

It is a national organization for suicide prevention, and it raises awareness about mental health.

“We say it is OK to not be OK. It is OK to ask for help,” said co-adviser Michele Connors.

The club began in November and is currently at the high school. She hopes to bring it to the middle school soon. Students attended a training at Stroudsburg High School.

“We help people get support. We want to break the silence and stigma,” she said.

The Diversity Task Force will meet on March 19 to debrief this year’s event and begin planning next year’s, said Mowrer Benda.