Monday, January 16, 2012

MLK Service Day Wrap Up (video)


CT AmeriCorps Alums and CT Public Allies teamed up with Neighborhood Housing Services, IRIS, New Haven's Office of Sustainability, and The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History to create none other than MLK Service Day!  A large group of volunteers attended the event, which then split into teams and took care of several community projects with the aforementioned organizations, engaging hundreds of community members. We painted basements, weatherproofed hallways, spoke with local citizens about sustainability, and educated residents about "seed bombs" and creating green spaces.   Then, we ate some generously donated pizza and salad, and there was even a breakdancer!

One of the highlights of the day was the community collaboration. We served alongside a whole bunch of people: students from UNH, Dwight Hall at Yale, Hill House High School, AmeriCorps Alums, CT Public Allies, VISTA AmeriCorps Members, and Community Members.

The intention of the day was to act in service of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ~ In his words “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

A special Thank You to CT Public Allies for organizing this event, and Ian Applegate for filming and editing the video.

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