Volunteers Decorate Hundreds of Homes Along King Drive for the Holidays: “This is a Beacon of Light”
Spreading Light During a Time of Need
Derek Bundy and his friends spent Saturday morning “spreading light” by decorating five Chatham homes for the holidays. After adorning the first home — in the 9600 block of South Martin Luther King Drive — with string lights, beaded garlands, festive baubles, and a wreath, Bundy said it felt like he was “spreading light during a time when the world is in a dark place.”
A Community Effort
Bundy and his friends were among a few hundred volunteers decorating South Side homes for the holidays as part of My Block, My Hood, My City’s seventh annual Be a Part of the Light initiative. The nonprofit, which aims to break the cycles of generational trauma through community and youth programming on the South Side, coordinated the event with the goal of decorating 500 homes along Martin Luther King Drive between 35th and 110th streets.
Inspiring Hope
My Block, My Hood, My City CEO Jahmal Cole said the effort was about inspiring hope and fostering a sense of community. “It’s up to us to design a community the way we want it to be,” Cole said. “It’s not inspiring to see bulletproof windows or decrepitness, so I want kids to walk outside and see some garland on the poles that interrupts the trauma they’re going through for just a little bit and allows them to have hope.”
A Beacon of Light
The volunteers started arriving early Saturday at a parking lot at 8330 S. King Drive, where they checked in to find out which homes they’d be decorating and received large bins full of holiday decorations. A DJ played classic holiday tunes while a nearby food truck served treats like hot chocolate, coffee, and doughnuts.
Community Spirit
People driving past the volunteers honked their car horns to cheer on their decorating efforts, while neighbors walking by the houses thanked volunteers for decorating. University of Chicago students Akil Leggett, Lilianne Asokwah, Francisca Marbell, and Smyrna Osae were among the volunteers, who said the decorations also served as a reminder of the hope that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired.
Conclusion
The Be a Part of the Light initiative is a beacon of hope and community spirit, reminding us that even in dark times, there is always light to be found. The effort to decorate hundreds of homes along King Drive is a testament to the power of community and the importance of spreading joy and hope during the holiday season.
FAQs
* What is the Be a Part of the Light initiative?
+ The Be a Part of the Light initiative is a community effort organized by My Block, My Hood, My City to decorate homes along Martin Luther King Drive on the South Side of Chicago.
* What is the goal of the initiative?
+ The goal of the initiative is to decorate 500 homes along Martin Luther King Drive between 35th and 110th streets and to inspire hope and foster a sense of community.
* Who can participate in the initiative?
+ Anyone can participate in the initiative, including individuals, families, and groups.
