RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - On a national day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds in Richmond took their day off to give back to others.
In a 1968 sermon titled “The Drum Major Instinct,” Dr. King said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”
At Chimborazo Elementary School in Church Hill, students from the Steward School, which is in the West End of Henrico, spent their day out of class providing maintenance at the elementary school.
Chimborazo’s principal, Cheryl Burke, says the action by these students personifies part of the message Dr. King strove to share.
The elementary school was once one of the lowest testing schools in Virginia, but has it seen a major uptick over the past decade or so.
Principal Burke says it is partnerships like the one with the Steward School that have sparked that turn around.
Many of the volunteer opportunities on Martin Luther King Day in Richmond were a part of the city’s “Neighbor-to Neighbor” initiative.
In a statement from Mayor Dwight Jones, he praised the efforts of those who served. Jones said, “Volunteering and helping others through service is a perfect way to honor the life, teachings, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
One of the groups featured in this initiative was Feedmore at the Central Virginia Food Bank. Feedmore provides grocery products to organizations, who in turn pass them out to people who need assistance finding a quality meal.
More than 50 volunteers lent a hand at the Food Bank on Monday. The volunteers helped stock shelves, load up vehicles, and even helped cook in the community kitchen.
