2016 Gift Of The Heart – Washington Township

Woodbury, NJ April 25, 2016
For Immediate Release

The law firm of Hoffman DiMuzio has allocated close to a half a million dollars to its “Gift of the Heart” Community Service Scholarship Foundation. Forty-one graduating seniors from Gloucester & Salem County High Schools have been selected to receive a one thousand dollar scholarship for embodying the service ideals of the program. This week, the 2016 “Gift of the Heart” Hoffman DiMuzio Community Service Foundation recipients are from Washington Township High School: Rachel DaGrosa and Tyler Dolgos.

Rachel DaGrosa

For Rachel DaGrosa, community service starts at home. Since she was very young, her family has been involved in volunteer activities whether going on fundraising walks or her dad’s participation in Habitat for Humanity helping to build homes. Rachel believes that foundation motivated her to volunteer throughout her high school career. In her words, “it has shaped me into the person I am today.”

Through her participation as a Class Council Executive Board Member, Rachel has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, N.J.   Her activities include playing with children receiving treatment, maintaining their room, and keeping it clean along with putting on fresh linens. For Township Toys, she helped host a 24-hour toy drive that distributes toys to children in need within the community. Rachel continues to walk for charity volunteering in the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness, Cystic Fibrosis Walk, Steps for Seizures for Epilepsy and the Race for Hope Brain Cancer walk. Great job, Rachel!

Tyler Dolgos

Tyler Dolgos’s motto is “service before self.” Volunteering is a way to make a difference in someone else’s life. For the past two years, Tyler has been a Freshmen Transition Peer Counselor. In this week-long summer program, he helps incoming freshmen transition into high school by familiarizing them with all the school’s activities while acting as a role model. Tyler joined this program after his own participation in this program as a freshman.

This past summer, Tyler organized a community event with a classmate called Project CPR. This program provided CPR instruction at no cost to family and friends. Focusing on emergent situations, Project CPR taught the important steps to take especially in home situations where an individual must deal with someone with cardiac arrest. Tyler also volunteers for the Team Step-Up program. Each volunteer gives up their lunch period once a week to help a classmate who is failing a class or having difficulty comprehending a subject. Tyler enjoys seeing the difference he is making in helping his fellow students improve their grades. Way to go, Tyler!

Congratulations are extended to Washington Township High School students Rachel DaGrosa and Tyler Dolgos as well as to their proud family and friends! Their community service to others exemplifies the true meaning of a Gift of the Heart!

Next week’s featured recipients will be from West Deptford High School.

Click here to read more about the Hoffman DiMuzio Gift Of The Heart Scholarship Foundation.

If you’d like to see the rest of the 2016 scholarship winners, click here.