Washington Service Corps participating in numerous MLK Day activities - Jan. 11, 2007
07-003
Media contacts:
Caitlin Cormier,
360-902-9215
Terri Barbee,
360-438-4145
OLYMPIA – The Washington Service Corps, a branch of the state Employment Security Department, is involved in an array of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events this month in communities all across Washington.
Beginning this Friday, Jan. 12, Washington Service Corps will assist local agencies and community groups at events ranging from essay contests to highway cleanups to book exchanges to a panel discussion on speeches and poetry by King.
“The Washington Service Corps is all about hope and service to the community and each other, which echoes the values taught by Dr. King,” said Karen Lee, commissioner of the Employment Security Department. “It is fitting that we honor his legacy with some special community service events that help keep his dream alive.”
Created by the state legislature in 1983 and administered by the Employment Security Department, the Washington Service Corps gives civically minded adults, aged 17 and up, an opportunity to serve their communities. For more information about Washington Service Corps and AmeriCorps-funded programs, visit http://www.wa.gov/esd/wsc/.
The events are listed below, alphabetically by county. The public is invited to all events, except for a few that don’t have the capacity for more attendees or volunteers. Those items are at the end of this list for reporters’ information.
events are listed below, alphabetically by county.The public is invited to all events, except for a few that don’t have the capacity for more attendees or volunteers. Those items are at the end of this list for reporters’ information.Chelan County (event serves Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties)
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
City: Wenatchee
Contact: Toby Haberlock at 509-662-6156
Event: The Intermountain AmeriCorps team is organizing a Youth and Family Activity Day at the Wenatchee Community Center. There will be performances at the main stage and activities such as a MLK timeline, puppets and youth activism in the adjacent area. Admission is a can of food for a food-drive collection.
Clark County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
City: Vancouver
Contact: Brittany Morgan at 360-750-7500, ext. 217
Event: Highway cleanup along State Route 500 and 112th Avenue.
Grays Harbor County
Day: Jan. 12
Time: 7 p.m.
City: Hoquiam
Contact: Jennifer Hamm-Bullington at 360-532-5700, ext 224
Event: The Grays Harbor Community PRIDE team is sponsoring an essay contest on diversity and what it means to elementary, middle and high school students in the area. The ceremony will include the winners reading their essays aloud, and Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech will be shown.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 1 to 8 p.m.
City: Hoquiam
Contact: Jennifer Hamm-Bullington at 360-532-5700, ext 224
Event: The Grays Harbor Community PRIDE team will work at the Union Gospel Mission to prepare, serve and clean up for the teen and adult dinner crowd.
King County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
City: Seattle
Contact: Chris LaPointe at 206-322-9296, ext. 217
Event: EarthCorps, Service for Peace, University of Washington and Seattle Parks Department will work on the restoration of this 43-acre South End green space. Volunteers for the project can sign up at http://www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php?date_id=236
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
City: Federal Way
Contact: Monda Holsinger at 253-945-2282
Event: Federal Way Community MLK Jr. celebration at Decatur High School.
Lewis County
Day: Jan. 21
Time: 12 to 4 p.m.
City: Morton
Contact: Meghann Willard at 360-497-7131
Event: Give-away and exchange of books collected earlier in the month. The event also will include literary games and information on a proposed Timberland Library kiosk for Morton, which does not have a library.
Okanogan County (event also serves Ferry County)
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 1 p.m.
City: Tonasket
Contact: Nina Davis at 509-486-1296
Event: A Culture and Diversity Fair at the Tonasket High School commons to explore the rich history, art and culture of various nations and ethnicities. At 4 p.m., there will be a free a multi-ethnic potluck, followed by a free screening of an animated Hayao Miyazaki film from Japan, rated G.
Skagit County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 12 to 7 p.m.
City: Mt. Vernon
Contact: Quinn Slayton at 253-651-8081
Event: Members of the Washington Reading Corps will be at Children's Bookshop, 525 E. College Way in Mount Vernon, to read books to children and encourage diversity awareness.
Stevens County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: All day
City: Valley
Contact: Clyde Brown at 509-685-6136
Event: Boxing books and moving them to a temporary library in a classroom at Valley Middle School. Once the present library is remodeled, assistance will be offered to reorganize and return the books.
Thurston County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 9:30 a/m. to 4 p.m.
City: Olympia
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: Activities for children at the Second Annual Experience Equality Bash at Madison Elementary School.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: noon to 2 p.m.
City: Tenino
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: People for Literacy will sort and distribute more than 1,000 books for at-risk youths at Tenino Elementary School, as part of the Books for Kids program.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
City: Olympia
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: Service Corps members and community volunteers will weed native-plant beds and other vegetable beds at Left Foot Organics, as well as build a rain-catching system and heat table for starting plants.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
City: Olympia
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: Volunteers will gather at the First Christian Church to put together 300 care packages for homeless school children and to learn about homelessness in this area, as part of the Emergency Shelter Network Service Project.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
City: Olympia
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: In an effort to provide homeless youths with the things they need, volunteers and a youth-service program called Rosie's Place will collect items from local residences, sort them and then distribute them to at-risk and homeless youths.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
City: Olympia
Contact: Heather Shute at 360-943-0780, ext. 100
Event: Symbols of Justice display. In the weeks leading up to Martin Luther King day, students and community members will create “hopes and dreams” banners. On MLK day, volunteers will assemble the banners and hang them around Olympia.
Whatcom County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City: Bellingham
Contact: Quinn Slayton at 253-651-8081
Event: Yarn-A-Thon, in which knitters will use their talent with yarn to raise funds and create warm wearables at Faith Lutheran Church, 2750 Mcleod Rd. All proceeds will benefit Slum Doctors and other local non-profit agencies.
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon at Franklin Park and 1 to 4 p.m. at Marine Park
City: Bellingham
Contact: Quinn Slayton at 253-651-8081
Event: The Washington Reading Corps, in partnership with Bellingham Parks & Recreation and the Washington Conservation Corps, will remove invasive and non-native plant species.
Several items, listed below, are not open to the public due to no more capacity for volunteers, but reporters are welcome to cover the events.
Clark County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: 2 to 4 p.m.
City: Vancouver
Contact: Brittany Morgan at 360-750-7500, ext. 217
Event: The Cascade Inn Convalescent Home will host a study of speeches and poetry by Martin Luther King Jr. about the civil-rights movement, including an open panel discussion on the subject. The recorded dialogue with the elderly residents will be submitted to the Clark County Museum.
King County
Day: Jan. 12
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
City: Seattle
Contact: Simone Jones at 206-957-4779, ext. 108
Event: Projects at Dunlap Elementary School, which will include assisting the librarian, a school-yard cleanup and reading about Dr. King with students. The day also includes an MLK march and assembly.
Spokane County
Day: Jan. 15
Time: After MLK parade
City: Spokane
Contacts: Don Young at 509-789-3611 and Bill Skaer at 509-354-7327
Event: Working on Habitat for Humanity home after the Martin Luther King Day parade.
