MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — Some may have wanted to give back to their community. Some may have needed volunteer hours. Some may have wanted a chance to enjoy the sunshine.

Whatever the reason, about 20 volunteers from Mount Laurel, Medford and other nearby communities spent about two hours on Saturday, November 2 giving some of Mount Laurel's Rancocas Woods business community what State Senator Troy Singleton called a “refresh”.

A few collected garbage that had found its way along Creek Avenue. A few spread hay bales on top of soil to act as mulch. A few cleaned up a community garden near Thyme Travelers Conservatory.

The cleanup was held in honor of November being National Entrepreneur Month, Singleton told TAPinto Mount Laurel.

“It creates the kind of conditions necessary for these entrepreneurs to flourish,” he said in an interview. “Small business is the largest employer here in the state of New Jersey, so anything and everything we can do to help them be successful, whether it is something like get our hands dirty or all the other aspects of the job that I have, then it is my obligation to do it.”

Saturday's clean-up was Singleton's 67th “Serve with Senator Singleton” event, a monthly project in which he crowd-sources a team of volunteers to help with a particular community service project.

“Rancocas Woods has quickly become Mount Laurel’s very own downtown, and the micro and small businesses that have helped this area flourish are worthy of our assistance,” said Singleton when announcing the project. “By helping clean-up the outdoor area around these businesses, we will help these entrepreneurs get ready for the upcoming holiday season which will not only bring shoppers, but many visitors for the community events hosted here.”

Volunteers have helped Singleton with previous community service initiatives such as animal welfare projects, clothing and supply drives, painting projects, gleaning efforts and community event set-up and
staffing, organizers said. Collectively, the volunteers have donated more than 2,500 hours of time to such community service initiatives, organizers said.

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