Small Acts of Service with Big Impact
by Sidney McCarty, Americorps VISTA, National Park Partners
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18th, is a federal day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy. AmeriCorps describes this day as many do across the country, as a “day on, not off.”
As put by AmeriCorps:
The MLK Day of Service inspires hundreds of thousands of Americans to come together to serve their community. Citizens in all 50 states deliver meals, refurbish schools and community centers, and collect food and clothing. Volunteers also recruit mentors, support jobseekers, build homes and provide other services for veterans and military families, and help citizens improve their financial literacy skills. Our nation’s leaders including congressional members, governors, and mayors honor Dr. King’s legacy through service projects while addressing pressing community needs.
By understanding the history and nature of this holiday, one can carry its spirit from a single day in January into the entire year. The honoring of Dr. King by the creation of a Federal Holiday was hard fought for and won. Read more about this fight here. As an AmeriCorps Vista member, this focus on service is an integral part of my position and inspired a day of pursuing service opportunities that continue to be available to members of the Chattanooga community throughout the year.
This MLK Day, I visited Orchard Knob Reservation in order to hike and remove any trash that may have made its way up the hill. This practice is a part of the Leave No Trace philosophy supported by the National Park Service and helps to encourage healthy ecosystems and the preservation of historic sites by ensuring that all park spaces are free of trash and litter. Keeping Orchard Knob clean is particularly important, as it is home to a number of unique wildflowers and insect life. Such small steps easily add up to a large impact over time, a process which is easily seen at Orchard Knob. In fact, the keep up of Orchard Knob year-round is due in no small part to park volunteer, Charli Wyatt, a resident of the Orchard Knob neighborhood whose sense of place and service brings her to the Knob in order to help NPS and others conduct trash pick up, record and study the local wildflowers, and push back invasive species such that the unique local wildlife may flourish.
Leave No Trace walks are simple to do, and can be done under COVID-19 regulations, as they only require one person to walk while carrying gloves and a bag for any litter they may come across. While certainly not as grand as the work Dr. King did in much of his life, such service is a small step towards keeping our communities welcoming and equitably accessible.
Other acts of service and education related to Dr. King’s work and legacy continue to be available to Chattanoogans throughout the year. For example, The Bessie Smith Cultural Center conducted an interview with Rev. Paul McDaniel, a colleague of Dr. King’s, available on their YouTube Channel, along with other vital work. The organization can be supported through annual memberships and donations.
Even Covid-19 relief is an excellent avenue for service, particularly as the pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color. The United Way is one such organization providing Covid-19 relief in Chattanooga with information on supporting their work here.
With the right resources, Dr. King’s memory can inspire service and action long beyond his memorial day. National Park Partners, along with their many partner organizations, hope to help support and inspire the practice of service, in January and beyond.