By: Samantha Castagna, Jersey Cares Corporate Service Manager

Frankenstein Day, really?  Who knew that there was a day celebrating Frankenstein?  The author of Frankenstein, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was born on August 30th, 1797 (which would have made her 219 this year) and so Frankenstein Day was born as well. Mixing elements of both the gothic and romantic movements, Mary Shelley created a work of science fiction that has inspired others’ stories, plays, and films for years succeeding Frankenstein’s initial release.  There have been no less than 52 movie and television adaptations of this classic as well as millions of printings of the novel.  The word itself has wound its way into the American lexicon.

While Jersey Cares was founded a whopping 175 years after Frankenstein’s first publishing, we have a few things in common with this enduring piece of literature:

1.            Much like Dr. Frankenstein, our volunteers and staff are always creating – creating change in the community and creating new ways to serve and get involved

2.            Similar to Frankenstein’s monster, our volunteers – coming from all walks of life – contribute a little bit of themselves to every project, ultimately coming together to be a huge force of good in New Jersey’s communities

3.            As Mary Shelley’s story has inspired many, creating a legacy within the literary and art community, Jersey Cares strives to inspire volunteers across the state to be the change in their community, creating a legacy of service across the Garden State

No matter what you may think of Frankenstein, you can’t deny how pervasive and influential it’s been through the years. For this, we are happy to celebrate Frankenstein Day and look forward to creating a similar legacy for volunteerism.