Westside Volunteer Corps flooded Atlanta’s Historic Westside with waves of volunteers who showed up ready to work during Westside Future Fund’s third annual MLK Day of Service! Instead of making it a day off, more than 600 volunteers chose to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday with a day ON, giving their time and energy to beautify the Westside. Chick-fil-A and The Coca-Cola Co. sponsored the event and provided breakfast and beverages for volunteers. Among the organizations represented by volunteer groups were AT&T, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, King and Spalding, Novelis, The Home Depot, Georgia Power, NCR, National Organization of Minority Architects, Cricket Cares, HOA – SEI, The Gathering Spot, and Change Healthcare.

Ladies of Spelman College strike a pose at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School.

Participants were divided into teams and performed various tasks across four different Westside locations: M. Agnes Jones Elementary School; Hollis Innovation Academy; Booker T. Washington High School; and Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture.

Teams volunteering at schools took part in several tasks including painting murals, sorting supply closets, general landscaping, interior painting, and garden maintenance. Meanwhile, volunteer teams at Truly Living Well Urban Farm took part in mulching walkways and trees, shifting compost, clearing overgrowth, preparing planting areas, general sorting and clean-up around the farm, as well as helping the farm compete for the world record for the tallest leaf pile!

To wrap up what was yet another successful MLK Day of Service which yielded an incredible volunteer turnout, each location held closing ceremonies with remarks given by key personnel, including: John Ahmann, President and CEO of Westside Future Fund; Dr. Margul Retha Woolfolk, Principal of M. Agnes Jones Elementary; Dr. Diamond M. Ford, Principal of Hollis Innovation Academy; Dr. Angela Coaxum-Young, Principal of Booker T. Washington High School; and K. Rashid Nuri, Founder of Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture. In the immortal words of Dr. King, “For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.” Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who sacrificed a day of rest for the sake of community, Atlanta’s Historic Westside took another step forward as it perpetually seeks to live up to being a place Dr. King would be proud to call home.

Pair of Spelman College volunteers shows M. Agnes Jones Elementary that the best way forward is together.

Quartet of closet sorters works in harmony at M. Agnes Jones Elementary.

Smiling Novelis volunteers celebrate the “unity” in community at Hollis Innovation Academy.

Resting volunteers at Hollis Innovation Academy take a load off after an energetic morning of adding to the school’s trend-setting beauty.

Quartet of CAU students adds some AUC flair to Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture.

Pair of volunteers at TLW gets rolling bright and early on MLK Day of Service.

TLW volunteers are willing to bet the farm that teamwork is what will make Dr. King’s dream work.

Westside Volunteer Corps cranks up the heat on MLK Day of Service.

Volunteer muralists at BTW prepare to add color and character to the halls of Dr. King’s alma mater.

Look out, Atlanta! BTW muralists let the Dawg off the leash!

Muralists at BTW make serving the community look like a work of art.

When walking the halls of Booker T. Washington HS as Dr. King once did, one is walking on sacred ground.

For more information on Westside Volunteer Corps and how to sign up for future volunteer opportunities, visit: volunteer.westsidefuturefund.org.