KANSAS CITY, Mo. — City Year Kansas City hosted its tenth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service event on Saturday.
The group commemorates the civil rights movement and honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by bringing together volunteers from all walks of life to participate in beautification projects, painting murals and inspirational quotes within the halls of a school or community center.
This year, they chose East High School.
Jeff Shafer is the executive director of City Year Kansas City.
“We hope that students and faculty understand that what’s going on in this school matters,” said Shafer. “Yes, we want to enliven the hallways and inspire them and motivate. At the end of the day, we hope they see there’s a community out there that came into this building to do this because we care about what happens with our students and we care about what happens with our schools.”
Quinby Hunter is a volunteer and former City Year Corp member and on Saturday, she got to directly impact a community she’s a part of. Through the program, she worked her way up to becoming a full-time science teacher at East High.
Her love for service is in her DNA.
“When I think of Dr. King, I think about my grandfather who was a very important person in my life,” said Hunter. “My grandfather was very active in the civil rights movement in LA and other areas. And I think about my grandfather who even in his 60’s and 70’s would continue to go out and serve in his community.”
Serving is what this group is all about.
Throughout the year, City Year AmeriCorps members serve in schools all day, every day, preparing students with the academic, workforce and interpersonal skills they need to succeed in school and life.
Saturday, over 60 volunteers came out to help paint 19 murals throughout the school halls. Creating art that will inspire generations to come.
“I hope that the kids have a sense of pride,” said Shafer. “Pride in their building, pride in their high school.”
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