MLK Day of Service
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Approximately 60 men and women from the Lansing area joined forces—amidst the frigid temperatures—at the Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC) on Monday, January 21 to spread both light and love in honor of the one man who stood as the epitome of volunteerism.
This triumphant Day of Service at the ANC consisted of three projects that coincided to promote their mission of providing health, safety, stability, and economic well-being of Eastside residents and other stakeholders. These three projects focused primarily on outreach, health through food access, and youth empowerment. From 13-year-old student Kailynn Guthaus to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, people of all ages and backgrounds spent the afternoon working towards revitalizing the community in a pure, selfless manner.
The day’s agenda consisted of distributing the agency’s quarterly newspaper, making signs for Edible Park, building raspberry trellises, and constructing garden boxes. When asked what outcome she expects to see from ANC’s event, Michigan AmeriCorps member and organizer of the service day event, 25-year-old Laura Drotar stated, “I’m hoping through this project people will feel more a part of the community and inspire people to get involved for more than just one day.”
Drotar went on to explain, “It’s important to give back to our community and to try and fight major issues like poverty. We must remember it takes a lot of work to make a better world. We are really happy to see all of the folks out here today to make Lansing’s Eastside a better place.”
Executive Director, Joan Nelson, emphasized their goal of establishing comprehensive and integrated community development. “Volunteerism is the way we operate. We rely on volunteering for the success of every program,” Nelson stated.
Twenty-two-year-old Lansing resident Carly Kruzel was just one of these altruistic volunteers who played a role in the success of the day’s event. When asked what volunteerism means to her, Kruzel said, “To me, volunteerism means that our time is really our own. It’s so important to spend our time building community and helping those around us. There is no point in living selfishly.”
There is so much darkness in the world, as MLK once stated, and the only way to ensure a bright future is by bringing both light and love into our chaotic society. All it takes is the desire to give back and the motivation to get out there and make a change, which is exactly what these charitable men and women did on Monday afternoon.
Volunteering goes far beyond just one notable Day of Service. It is a consistent, honorable effort that is needed on a daily basis, and it is a lesson that MLK fought to promote his entire life.
Anyone can be a volunteer. What’s stopping you?