MLK Day – Where Did You Serve?

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day–now touted as “A Day On” rather than simply a day off–our AmeriCorps State members, VISTAs, Experience Corps members and staff found multiple ways to take part in the call to service this year.

On Saturday, we served at the annual Martin Luther King Breakfast hosted by the Yawkey Boys & Girls Club.  The volunteers greeted and served breakfast to hundreds of guests at the event which featured Governor Deval Patrick as keynote speaker.  We were also treated to performances by club members, many of whom receive literacy tutoring through Generations’ program at the club.

On Monday, we fanned out across the city to serve in various community projects:  In East Boston, we joined nearly 200 volunteers at Zumix to help move boxes and instruments from its current location to the renovated, LEED-certified, firehouse two blocks away, where free music programming for youth will continue in March.  Instead of hiring a truck to move, these volunteers passed boxes through the snow and sleet, brigade-style, to the firehouse.  It took all 200 volunteers, but the move was complete after just 45 minutes!  The event concluded at the new space with youth-led musical performances, tours, and chili. In addition to MLK Day, all of our VISTAs spent Friday, January 8th , packing boxes at Zumix to prepare for the big move!

In our downtown office, several of us dedicated three hours to creating new bookfolders for our Reading Coaches program.  At this event we created eye-catching folders to accompany the books used in our one-on-one literacy program.  The folders not only help pique the child’s interest in the story, but also help guide our volunteers to build comprehension and engage the student in fun writing activities about the story.

We also served in Dorchester at the annual MLK Day of service hosted by City Year.  Here we served alongside several other Boston-based AmeriCorps groups to help transform spaces at the Boston Latin Academy and John D. O’Bryant Community Center.  At the O’Bryant, we worked with other volunteers to rejuvenate multiple rooms with fresh coats of paint and artwork.  Those at the BLA painted colorful murals that would adorn the walls of both buildings.

What a great crew of volunteers who not only give to Generations, but other organizations that are doing great work throughout the city.  Where did you serve?

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