MLK Day!

January is gone in a hustle and a bustle. The highlight of the month is Martin Luther King Day. The Federal Way partnered with several organizations across town to organize a synergistic day of service that comprised several projects around town.

I was at a Dunbar Middle school which was located in a neighborhood that looked like a ghost town. We were tasked with painting:

· A hallway
· An office
· A gym
In the end the 125 volunteers painted:

· 2 hallways
· An office
· A gym
· The lunchroom
· A bathroom
· Cleaned a chaotic room disheveled by flood.
· Picked up trash.

The volunteers were mostly youth part of a group called Jack and Jill which are mothers and children who come together to socialize while serving and learning. We also had Teach For America folks, college students, and us AmeriCorps folks.

It was really powerful to see how much we accomplished in 4 hours. It all came together so quickly. The cost and time expenditure on the same project would have been enormous if it had been undertaken at market value. Time is a phenomenal resource. All these 125 people gave was 4 hours. No money, no supplies, just their beautiful hands.

Now the students at Dunbar Middle School have a bright clean learning environment. Many studies have explored the connection between attractive, dynamic environments and positive learning outcomes. I hope that the students at Dunbar will feel a little more cared about; I hope they will find school more pleasant, and I hope they will overcome the odds against them.