2012 MLK Service Project


2012 Photo Gallery
2012 Photo Gallery

Approximately 1,300 volunteers turned out to provide home repairs and yard work for Decatur’s senior citizens. This has made tremendous impact on their lives and they are extremely grateful for the help. Volunteers donated 7,628 hours of their time (includes hours spent planning and preparing for the project, as well as during the project weekend). The total value of volunteer hours donated was $162,934.08 based on Independent Sector (http://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time) calculation of the hourly value of volunteer time of $21.36 for 2010.

This is some of what was accomplished:

  • Large-scale repairs (full three-day weekend projects) were made at12 homes and 10 homes had less demanding small projects for a total of 22 homes receiving repairs.
  • All but one of these homes also had yard work and / or miscellaneous items (broken or obsolete or no longer usable items) removed.
  • Another 23 homes had yard work and / or miscellaneous item removed. This resulted in 45 senior citizens’ homes benefitting from this project. Also, the “Independent Communities” apartments of 14 people with disabilities living in five buildings had yard work done.
  • 17 tons of yard waste (including 2,300 filled yard waste bags) and 30 tons of miscellaneous items were removed.
  • Roving teams cleaned gutters at 22 homes.
  • Skilled weatherization projects were undertaken with the help of the nonprofit organization Southface Energy institute, resulting in three homes being prepared for insulation (to be done at a later date). This work included b airsealing ductwork and replacing crushed ductwork.
  • Repairs and yard work were done with over 900 tools rented from the nonprofit Atlanta Community Tool Bank.
  • Laid a new sidewalk so the homeowner could safely get to the street.
  • Repaired the consequences of a longtime leaky kitchen sink by repairing the floor and subfloor, replacing the sink, and installing new countertops and cabinets.
  • Reinforced the floor under a tub that was about to fall through.
  • Replaced floors under a water heater.
  • Installed attic stairs.
  • Electrician made repairs to a home that had service go out in one-third of the home immediately before we started work on the home.
  • Repaired and replaced toilets.
  • Installed new doors.
  • Stripped wallpaper and repainted walls.

Please let us know what you enjoyed about the project and what we can do to improve the project next year. We would love to hear about your experiences volunteering at Decatur’s Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project. The applications committee is accepting requests for repairs to be considered for the 2013 Project. Did you encounter any seniors while you were volunteering that you thought would be a good candidate? Do you have a neighbor who can use some help? Please ask the senior to contact Susan Cobleigh (see below) or contact her yourself on the senior’s behalf. You can request to remain anonymous. To be considered:

  • Home must be in the city limits of Decatur.
  • Senior must be the homeowner and reside in the home.
  • Senior must be at least 65-years-old.
  • Senior must be on a fixed or low income.

We would love to have you join our leadership team. Consider being a House Captain (overseeing home repairs, supervising volunteers and communicating with the homeowner). Or, you might want to be a member of one of our committees, such as the Landscape committee (reviewing yard work prior to the project and overseeing yard work during the project), the Energy Efficiency committee, or the Food committee. Please contact either Lee Ann Harvey, Volunteer! Decatur, at 678-553-6548 or leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or Susan Cobleigh, Decatur Preservation Alliance, at 404-371-4444 or susan@decaturpreservationalliance.org.

Thank you for helping these seniors to live more safely, comfortably and affordably in their homes as a result of these much needed repairs and yard work. We look forward to your joining us during the next Decatur Martin Luther King Jr. Service project, which will take place January 19, 20, and 21, 2013.

Thanks!
Susan and Lee Ann