Foundation Staff Volunteer on MLK Day:
It’s “a Day On, Not a Day Off”

By Ravi D’Souza

For millions of people in the United States, January 15 was a holiday. At the same time, 19 Points of Light Foundation employees answered the late Coretta Scott King’s call to service and made it “a day on, not a day off.” To honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Foundation staff spent the day restoring a homeless shelter, hauling garbage, painting murals at a high school and making crafts for foster kids.

Washington, D.C.’s Cardozo High School is a grand building, perched high on a hill that overlooks the cityscape. Built nearly 80 years ago, its interior lacks some of the modern and academic symbols that often inspire students. Recognizing the need for refurbishment, eight staff members spent the entire day painting murals that depict global cultural monuments.

James Murphy worked on a painting of India’s Taj Mahal and noted, “The murals provide a more welcoming look in these hallways. I would hope that these will tie into the students’ studies as well.” Other murals that were painted include Australia’s Sydney Opera House, England’s Stonehenge, China’s Great Wall and Rome’s Coliseum.

In order to provide a warm and inviting space for the residents of Franklin Shelter, six Foundation employees refurbished the interior living space. While many added fresh paint to the walls, some also installed bulletin boards and built new shelves.

Polina Makievsky gained a new perspective from her service. “The most important thing wasn’t the actual painting, but learning that this great service exists,” she said. “It is so close to our office, and this is a real issue. It’s winter and it is the only emergency shelter.” For this volunteer, MLK Day was just as much a service opportunity as it was a learning experience.

A unique opportunity was coordinated by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center in Maryland. At a Marriott in Bethesda, about 1,000 volunteers came together in service to communities far and wide. One huge ballroom provided opportunities to make crafts for the Children’s Inn at NIH, participate in a bone marrow drive, create cards for soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and join various other projects. One of the Foundation’s five volunteers, Gwen Haynes, was pleased to observe the family-strengthening side of volunteering. “It brought families together to volunteer to help people they will never meet,” said Haynes. “The diversity and variety of projects was great. They all helped someone, somehow.”

The Points of Light Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of volunteering around the nation. In the true spirit of this mission, various staff members and their families spent the holiday improving communities in the District. Every volunteer mentioned both the impact of the work and how much they enjoyed serving the community.