MLK Service Day 2020 Recap

On Monday, January 20, Hands On Thomas County honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s legacy by making it a day on, not a day off.

Over 150 individuals braved the cold to come together on this annual (and national) morning of service, to continue the example that Dr. King set by serving others — volunteering at select project sites focused on hunger, literacy, and community improvement. Check out the project highlights and photos below.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is… what are you doing for others?” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was a cold, winter morning but that did not deter over 50 volunteers from coming together to tackle food insecurity right here in our own backyard. Volunteers from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Connection Assembly, Kappa League, American Beauty Chapter No 214 Prince Hall Order of the Easter Star, along with other families, served more than 200 households with bags of free food staples from Second Harvest.

Volunteers lent a hand at the Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen — prepping food for the daily meal service, organizing the pantry and cleaning up the thrift store area.

Students from Thomasville High School AFJROTC spent the morning at MacIntyre Park Middle School and Scholars Academy creating “invisible” sidewalk art featuring active and positive messages for students. Thomas County Middle School also completed the same task with a group of M.E.R.I.T. students.

We had another successful Book Drive with a total of 301 books collected! Because of your donations, you shared the joy of reading to more than 50 kids at the Meigs Literacy Fair and Read-a-thon hosted by the Virtuous Girls Youth Group. Each child in attendance received new books, pizza for lunch, door prizes and special book readings from a few Yellow Jackets from the Thomas County Central High School Football team.

It was a wonderful way to spend this day. A very special THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, volunteers, non-profits, and groups who helped make an impact in their community in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Special thanks to to Ashley Homestore, Hurst Boiler, and Ms. Diane W. Parker; as well as the Thomasville Antiques Show Foundation for making volunteer programs like these possible.