Over 100 Volunteers Attend MLK Day of Service Event

Jan 27, 2020

Over 130 volunteers attended a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service event at the West Suburban YMCA on January 20, 2020. The service event was a joint project between the West Suburban YMCA and The Second Step, with the goal of packing "blessing bags" for families and individuals who have been affected by domestic violence.

Hundreds of donated items for the blessing bags were collected during the 4 weeks leading up to the event, and in just under one hour on MLK Day, every single item was bagged and ready for distribution. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds packed over 175 blessing bags filled with toiletries, hygiene items, and cold weather accessories to benefit Second Step clients. 

"MLK led the civil rights movement, and a lot of that was based in just recognizing the humanity in other people," said Mimi Sperl, volunteer and education coordinator at The Second Step. "For some people, the donation of toiletries is amazing because they don't have anything when they're starting over, moving into a new place, restocking their closets."

In addition to preparing blessing bags, a station was set up for our youngest volunteers and their families to create tissue paper bouquets. Three dozen colorful, handmade "bouquets" were given to Second Step staff to thank them for their great work in the community and to brighten up their offices.

Both The Second Step and the West Suburban YMCA have received positive feedback about the event, and hope to continue their partnership and expand the event next year to provide donated items to even more households.

"We can't do it alone," added Jack Fucci, president and CEO of the West Suburban YMCA, "and in the spirit of MLK, we need to do it together and move forward together."