DeKalbites answer call to service
by Jennifer Escalona
One the eve of the inauguration of the nation’s first Black president, DeKalbites rolled up their sleeves to honor the legacy of another pioneer. Citizens gathered at sites all around DeKalb County to remember and serve their communities through volunteer work on the annual observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
The third Monday in January was dedicated as a public service holiday when Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994. Since then, for many DeKalb citizens, venturing out into the cold to lend a helping hand has become a yearly tradition.
Jackie Dennis of Stone Mountain turned out with her children, ages 11 and 15, to paint murals and classrooms at Stone Mountain Elementary School. “This is an annual event for us,” she said. “I believe in teaching my kids to volunteer when they are young, so it will come naturally when they grow up.”
Local college students appear to have learned that lesson well. Students from Morehouse, Spelman and Emory were among the volunteers who flocked to help out at a food drive hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia in Decatur. Volunteers there raised awareness about blindness while collecting bags of food for distribution to the community.
“It’s always good to give back to others. It gives me a better perspective on what I have,” said Isaiah Jenkins, a 19-year-old student at Morehouse College.
Volunteers took their day of service seriously, but there was no lack of laughter and high spirits. “We’ve had a great crowd of wonderful people out here today,” said 18-year-old Spelman student Malikat Rufai while manning a table at the food drive. “It makes you feel so good to meet other people dedicated to the community.”
The Federation of the Blind’s Director of Youth Programs, Garrick Scott, was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support that he ran out of jobs for late arrivals. “We had way more volunteers than I could ever have anticipated. I will not underestimate my neighbors, my community or my city ever again.”
Vern Cambridge, director of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, was similarly amazed. Addressing a crowd of volunteers at the end of a long day of cleaning, painting, and gardening, he marveled, “You guys have done two months worth of work in three hours.”
The project’s coordinators, working in conjunction with Hands on Atlanta, had anticipated 80 volunteers, but instead found themselves with 130 sets of helping hands.
Donnis Davis started volunteering with Hands on Atlanta in 1996, and has been the project coordinator for the Shakur Center’s annual volunteer event since 2007. When asked what calls him to service, he explained, “I guess I just have a passion for giving back to the community, and think that my time is a lot more valuable than any money I can donate.”
Perhaps 12-year-old Amarah Myers of Stone Mountain summed up the spirit of the day best when she said, “It was cold, but I liked it. We played and did work. It was fun!”
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