Category Archive

Saturday, January 19, through Monday, January 21, 2013

Sign up to volunteer for the 11^th annual Decatur Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Project on the weekend of Jan. 19-21. Volunteers will work on senior citizens’ homes in Decatur, making greatly needed repairs and doing yard work that the elderly homeowners have been unable to afford. The MLK Jr. Service Project is sponsored by the Decatur Preservation Alliance in partnership with the City of Decatur and other organizations. We are striving to make this project more environmentally friendly, so please bring a reusable water bottle with you. Since we will have a limited number of tools and work gloves will be available, it would be extremely helpful to bring tools and work gloves with you (work gloves; hammers, saws, drills, and other tools; rakes or other yard work supplies; etc.). Please be certain to mark your tools for easy identification.

Please mark your calendar to participate in project.   Volunteers may sign up to work one or more of the following shifts (please see below for volunteer positions with different shift times):

• Saturday, January 19: 9am (arrive at 8:30am) to 1pm and 1pm (arrive at 12:30pm) to 5pm
• Sunday, January 20: 1pm (arrive at 12:30pm) to 5pm
• Monday, January 21: 9am (arrive at 8:30am) to 1pm and 1pm (arrive at 12:30pm) to 5pm

Volunteers will meet at the Solarium at the Community Center of South Decatur, 321 W. Hill St. in Oakhurst, at least 30 minutes before the start of their shift. 

When signing up, please indicate the shift(s) you have selected, whether you have any specific skills (skills such as the ability to make repairs to your own home, carpentry, home repair, painting, plumbing, gardening, etc). Specific skills are not necessary.

Volunteers must be a minimum of 12-years-old, unless they are volunteering through a supervised organization, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Please check first before signing up. Youth groups must designate their adult contact person, the age range of the youth, and the number of adults and youth attending.  Anyone under 18-years-old must have their parent or guardian sign a release form and bring it with them to the project. (All volunteers will complete a release form – youth will need a parent / guardian signature.) The form is available at www.decaturga.com/volunteer. 

We are always grateful for the tremendous volunteer response every year. In addition to home repairs and yard work, there are some key areas we are targeting:

• Skilled Trades people – We always have several projects that require a professional roofer, plumber, electrician, HVAC person, and carpenter.  We also are looking for lots of non-professional but proficient carpenters.

• Materials Team – We try to anticipate our materials needs prior to the project.  In the course of the project, we often find that we need additional materials in a timely manner. We have a Materials Team to help with purchasing and delivering additional materials. The Materials Expeditors will be stationed at the Edgewood Lowes to provide support to the Materials Logistics Coordinator regarding additional materials to be purchased.  This position requires a good knowledge of home repair supplies and familiarity with the layout of Lowes is extremely helpful. Materials Runners will pick up materials from Lowes and deliver them to the home requesting the supplies.  A pick up truck is preferable for this duty.

• Yard Work Supervisors – Since we always have a large number of unskilled volunteers, we have scheduled a number of yard work projects.  If you have a good basic knowledge of gardening and are a good leader, we can use your help.  You would then supervise the volunteers at one or more nearby homes.

• Food – Are you eager to help with this important service project but don’t feel you can shovel, hammer or rake your way through it?  We have plenty of other options for you to get involved: you can bake, make sandwiches, deliver lunches in your vehicle, fill coolers, you name it!  The food committee is planning breakfast, lunch and snacks for volunteers on Saturday and Monday, plus snacks on Sunday.  We have Saturday breakfast covered but we are still looking for a restaurant, business or other group to provide breakfast on Monday morning. We are looking for individuals or groups who will commit to making a minimum of 2 dozen cookies, brownies or sandwiches that are wrapped in individual servings (please label with the type of sandwich, for example, veggie, pimento cheese, etc.). This is a fun activity for any neighborhood, social or civic group.  Restaurants are invited to help provide lunches, snacks and drinks. Since we will be working on so many homes, we are also looking for people who are familiar with Decatur (especially around Oakhurst) who will help with lunch delivery on Saturday and Monday. To provide food or help with deliveries, please contact Food Committee Co-Chair Sandy Rice at sf.rice@comcast.net.

• Volunteer Check In – Check in volunteers and assist them with completing and signing the release form. Shift times are 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Monday; 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Sponsored by the Decatur Preservation Alliance (DPA) in partnership with the City of Decatur, the MLK Service Project is supported through grants and private donations, both financial and in kind. Your gift is tax deductible.  To make a donation, visit the DPA website (www.decaturpreservationalliance.org) and click on “Join or Donate” or mail your check payable to DPA (designate MLK Project) to Decatur Preservation Alliance, PO Box 1764, Decatur, GA 30031.

Please contact Lee Ann Harvey at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 678-553-6548, if you are interested in volunteering. Consider contacting members of your business, school, club, place of worship, or other organization to work together as a group. All volunteers are invited to attend a celebration cookout on Monday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m. at the Solarium.

Thank you for caring about Decatur’s senior citizens and helping them to live safely, comfortably, and affordably in their homes