MLK Day of Service Brings Community Together
Written By Ellen Putnam
Photographed By Nancy Clover
Photo Credit: Nancy Clover
In what was, perhaps, the largest MLK Day of Service in Melrose since the pandemic, hundreds of residents came out on Sunday evening and Monday morning to eat together, enjoy a free concert, and engage in volunteer and learning opportunities, all in honor of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This year’s events were planned by the MLK Day of Service Coalition, which took over from the city’s Human Rights Commission last year.
On Sunday evening, community members came to the Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church for a potluck and a free concert presented by the Opening Doors Project.
Then, on Monday morning, in spite of snowfall overnight, community members gathered for breakfast and volunteer opportunities across the community: sorting donations at the Trinity Parish Thrift Store; shopping for Pantry of Hope; reading and talking about racial justice at Temple Beth Shalom; and baking cookies, making meals, and packing backpacks for Bread of Life.
Other community members remained at the Unitarian Church to hear from Melrose residents who work with several different community organizations.
Cory Allen of Fighting for Black Lives in Our Neighborhood - Melrose gave a presentation about the state of systemic racism in Melrose. Beth Hampson and Rebecca Taplin of Pathways to Restorative Communities talked about the relationship between restorative justice and Dr. King’s Beloved Community, which requires the sometimes difficult work of talking to and making peace with even those with very different viewpoints.
Then Paul Belfanti talked about the Immigrant Support Alliance, which provides support to immigrant and refugee families as they adjust to life in the United States. And Neela Jay talked about her work with LUCE Mass, which runs a hotline for residents to report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, and provides support for immigrants who are affected by ICE operations.
Following the volunteer and learning opportunities, participants gathered for pizza, a performance by the MLK Day Choir, and a reading of King’s I Have a Dream speech.
See photos from this weekend’s events below, and read our write-up of the Opening Doors Project concert here.
