30th annual Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service brings out hundreds of volunteers
Hundreds of volunteers gathered at Girard College on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to participate in the Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service, honoring Dr. King's legacy through a variety of community service projects. It was the 30th year of the annual event.
Among them was 12-year-old Aidan Gaddis, who spent his day tying knots on fleece blankets for cancer patients through the Voices of Black Women program with the American Cancer Society. Though he will likely never meet the recipients, he said he hoped his efforts would bring comfort to those in need.
"Because there's people that don't have what we have at home," Gaddis said.
The event, which included roughly 63 local organizations, encouraged community members to come together for a common cause. Gaddis expressed excitement about meeting other volunteers and working together for a shared goal.
"This is actually my first time meeting everybody at this table, so I'm excited," he said.
Also at the table was 64-year-old Mark Smith, who was born just eight years after King's assassination.
"This is giving me great, great honor to be here. Doing this here … doing something for someone else," Smith said.
At another table, 12-year-old Azzi Krasner Friedman assembled packets for an "Adopt-a-School" program run by the Community College of Philadelphia. The young volunteer said he felt privileged to be able to give back to those in need.
"I'm fortunate, so it feels good to help people and help them feel lucky and fortunate also," he said.
Volunteers also worked with Dreamline, a nonprofit that encourages kids across the globe to write about their dreams on fabrics that will be turned into banners.
Barbara Bassett, a volunteer with the organization, said she saw a direct connection between the activities and Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
"It's a perfect reason for us to be here — is to think about MLK and that dream speech and the dream he had for America," Bassett said.
The day also featured more intimate acts of service. Eighty-three-year-old Harold Cassell, a volunteer from Mount Zion Baptist Church of Holmesburg in Northeast Philly, offered prayers to anyone who showed up seeking comfort. He said the Day of Service event perfectly represents King's legacy.
"Really getting to the spirit of what Dr. Martin Luther King [did] — helping one another," Cassell said. "You know, if we help one another, we can be in good shape!"
The Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service is the largest event of its kind in the nation, offering volunteer opportunities to people of all ages.
