Maketa Colbert (right) and Andrea Parker clean up Annie Harper’s back yard during the Decatur Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project weekend on Sunday, January 18, 2015. Photo by Jonathan Phillips

Lee Ann Harvey, Decatur’s Lifelong Community Coordinator, is placing call for volunteers to help with home repairs during the last two days of the MLK Service Project weekend.

More from Harvey:

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The 14th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project is taking place this weekend. We would love to have you join us. Did you know the significance of this holiday? “In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service …, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a ‘day on, not a day off’.” (http://mlkday.gov/about/ serveonkingday.php)

The weather will be turning colder next week, so that makes it more important to help our senior citizens live safely, comfortably and affordably in their homes. The remaining volunteer shifts this weekend are:

Sunday, January 17: 1pm to 5pm

Monday, January 18: 9am to 1pm and 1pm to 5pm

Over 570 volunteers came out on Saturday to make greatly needed repairs and do yard work that the elderly homeowners have been unable to afford or are unable to do themselves. There are volunteer opportunities available for skilled, unskilled and everyone in between. Projects that still need to be done include a lot of carpentry work, laying linoleum at three homes, and a number of DIY and “handyperson” jobs. If you can make repairs on your own home, we’d love your help!  There are also opportunities available for people who do not have skills.

Volunteers will meet at the Solarium at the Community Center of South Decatur, 321 W. Hill St. in Oakhurst, at least 30 minutes before the start of their shift. Bring your reusable water bottle, work gloves and your tools, if you have them. We will also have tools available.

To sign up, please email [email protected] or call 770-652-8593. The project is sponsored by the Decatur Preservation Alliance (DPA) in partnership with the City of Decatur. The project is supported through grants and private donations, both financial and in kind, as well as the annual Restaurant’s for Repairs dine out event.

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