Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund co-chair Ben Noblitt speaks to a group of volunteers from Toyota Material Handling before they help with some volunteer work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that street sweepers should do their jobs “so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
Columbus resident Douglas Moon was shampooing carpets on the United Way of Bartholomew County’s Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Monday. He was intent upon doing a praiseworthy job at Love Chapel food pantry’s basement storage area on Center Street in Columbus.
“This definitely is a good day for service,” said Moon, who mentioned that his work place at Toyota Material Handling strongly encourages community service. “It certainly seems to coincide with King’s legacy.”
Moon was among 21 volunteers at three local nonprofits volunteering Monday to echo the years of service of civil rights leader King, killed in 1968 after he spoke on behalf of the rights of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
It was Moon’s first time for such volunteering on the King Day of Service. Others such as Stephanie Gorham, also shampooing carpets, already have a year-long track record of volunteerism at Love Chapel, the county’s largest pantry operated by the Ecumenical Assembly of Bartholomew County Churches.
“I saw there was a need,” Gorham said. “In fact, it seems like there is a bigger need right now.
“I know that Martin Luther King helped the world. So I would like to help in my own little corner of the world.”
While other King holiday events such as a free community breakfast, a youth program and a Columbus/Bartholomew County NAACP program all were postponed because of growing local cases of COVID-19, the Day of Service outreach proceeded.
Kelly Daugherty, Love Chapel’s executive director, is glad it did.
Besides Moon and Gorham, four other volunteers came by in the afternoon to organize the basement storage area.
“We get a lot of food donations over the holiday,” Daugherty said. “Without a few extra hands like today, it can just pile up. It’s all we can do to keep up with (organizing) things like this. So the timing couldn’t be better.”
Across town at the offices of Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, three members of Century 21 Breeden Realtors staff compiled folders that Turning Point staffers use in presentations to students. Breeden chose Turning Point as its nonprofit of choice for 2021.
Matt Rust, Breeden’s director of growth, said he and others were pleased to be of help with what he termed Turning Point’s “pretty powerful projects.”
“A servant attitude and serving our neighbors in any capacity runs deeply at Breeden and with all our agents,” Rust said. “It’s our duty to serve.”
He said a company that helps people with homes naturally should be concerned about others’ sense of home and welfare.
At the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund storage facility, eight volunteers helped move supplies to make room for the building’s planned expansion expected to begin next month.
“It was great,” said fund co-chair Ben Noblitt, “to have extra sets of hands to help.”
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Atticus Wright and Kate Grafelman puts a book on a shelf while volunteering as part of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Atticus Wright and Kate Grafelman puts a book on a shelf while volunteering as part of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Paige Wright directs her son Atticus where to push a cart as the volunteer as part of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Atticus Wright puts a book on a shelf while volunteering with his mother as part of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Atticus Wright puts a book on a shelf while volunteering with his mother as part of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Paige Wright and her son Atticus put DVDs on a shelf while volunteering with the Bartholomew County Public Library’s Kids Who Care program for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at San Souci in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Volunteers from Toyota Material Handling, help move a shelving unit during Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Volunteers from Toyota Material Handling, help move a shelving unit during Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Volunteer Jaspreet Singh, from Toyota Material Handling, moves a toy all-terrain vehicle during volunteer service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Volunteer Brian Napier, from Toyota Material Handling, moves a container of toys during volunteer service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund co-chair Ben Noblitt speaks to a group of volunteers from Toyota Material Handling before they help with some volunteer work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund co-chair Ben Noblitt speaks to a group of volunteers from Toyota Material Handling before they help with some volunteer work on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at the Cheer Fund building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
