Come Together (for a Celebratory and Reflective MLK Day)!

Good morning, Charlotte!

Happy MLK Day to all! If you've noticed my absence toward the end of last week, it was because I was helping Hands On Charlotte prepare for our MLK Day service events, which were held last Saturday. I participated in the site at Blythe Elementary School in Huntersville, while we also had sites at East Mecklenburg High School and Marie G. Davis Academy.

The project with which I worked with most closely was making Red Cross door hanger bags for their canvassing events. During these events, the Red Cross and Charlotte Fire Department coordinate a group of volunteers who go into communities recently affected by house fires and go door-to-door to see who has functional smoke alarms and who would like them. If there is no answer at the door of a house, these door hanger bags are left on the doorknob, filled with safety and preparedness tips.

Completed door hanger bags with some extra materials (and coffee, because coffee is everything)!

A completed door hanger bag!

We had a really great time and I was super excited to have Molly, who will be joining our HOC CEPC team, along to help out and get her feet wet as she starts her term. It was a beautiful day to give back to the community, and I cannot thank everyone who came out to any of our three sites enough! For your enjoyment, here are some pictures from Saturday's event at Blythe, and some Beatles to help you kick off your MLK Day, whether you are at work or lucky enough to be relaxing at home to celebrate and reflect! Stay safe, y'all!

Molly helps families make chew toys out of tee shirts for Animal Care and Control!

Volunteers work on bandannas for Animal Care and Control!

Volunteers sort nails for Habitat for Humanity build projects!

Volunteers set up card-making stations for Valentines' Day cards to benefit Love In Action!

Volunteers sort coats for WSOC's Steve's Coats for Kids!

These are just some of the coats our volunteers sorted through!

This Girl Scout models with her Valentines' Day card for Love In Action!

How could we not give back on such a beautiful day? Gotta love January in North Carolina!

Volunteers at Crisis Assistance Ministry, who received the coats from Steve's Coats for Kids!

Welcome to the team, Molly! I am so excited to start working with you and doing amazing things!

(And if you made it this far down the page, kudos, here's some Beatles for you:)