JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s legacy, Jacksonville residents are coming together for a weekend dedicated to community service.
RELATED: Want to volunteer for the MLK Holiday weekend of service? Here’s how to sign up
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In partnership with the United Way, News4JAX is proud to support more than 20 service projects across the area, with over 550 volunteers stepping up to make a positive impact.
One of the standout projects took place at Long Branch Elementary, where volunteers gathered to beautify the school and support its unique educational initiatives.
Volunteers helped fill the hallways and stairwells with a sense of community, while also helping with ways to prevent bullying and hunger among students who lack the basic needs at home.
The school’s principal, Dr. Frank Graham, shared insights into the Ryan Clark Academy House System, a program that fosters a sense of community and belonging among students.
Think of it like Harry Potter.
“The Ryan Clark Academy house system is a system of respective houses of students who enter randomly, and they are supposed to uplift some of the traditions of those houses,” Graham said.
Volunteers at Long Branch Elementary painted stairwells with the crests of each house, symbolizing unity and togetherness. Graham expressed gratitude for the volunteers' efforts, saying, “It’s a beautiful day in Jacksonville. We have dozens of volunteers who came out and committed their time to serve us.”
In addition to beautifying the school, volunteers participated in the Kit Project, assembling snack packs, personal care kits, and crown kits.
Lashaundra Sawyer, Manager of Volunteer Engagement for United Way, highlighted the importance of these kits.
“When our students don’t come to school fed or they have to go home hungry, these kits provide that nourishment they need to be able to concentrate in classes,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer explained how the personal hygiene kits are to help stop the bullying of students who don’t get the basic needs at home.
“You know when you were growing up kids talking about other kids about ‘oh you smell funny’. We want to make sure children are provided with their needs; their basic needs are met,” Sawyer said.
As for the Crown Kits, they are filled with hair supplies for little girls.
“We get great responses, especially with these types of kits, because we often do personal care and they don’t often have the supplies for African American girls,” Sawyer said.
