mlk and a day of play

We began the day learning about where it all started.  Well, we didn’t go back all the way to the beginning, but to the times of the Civil Rights, a major turning point in American History.  We visited The King Center, and walked through a photo-timeline of Martin Luther King and the movement he lead.  An enthusiastic tour guide, Doug, lead us through MLK’s birth home.  I could take some lessons from Doug when I give my tours.

After pizza lunch, we met with Vince, Allison, and Amanda from Essential2Life (E2L).  E2L is the non-profit that helped us plan all of our volunteer activities.  Vince, the founder of E2L, told us his story and all about the work they have done over the last 15 years.  The group was enthralled with his accent, even though it was usual for Alison.

Time to play!  We spent the afternoon volunteering at an NFL Youth Education Town Boys & Girls Club.  We toured the building which is decorated with lots of Atlanta Falcons gear and they even had a few rooms designed by HGTV.  We all went into different rooms (game, arts and crafts, homework, computer, etc.) to play with the kids.  It was great to see the smiles on their faces after seconds.  I helped Jamal, Jay, and Devon on math homework.  Ellen had a blast playing and running around with Asia.  We’re excited to return back there a few times this week.

As I write this, several people are helping cook dinner for the team.  Tonight’s Mexican night!  Sara added her special seasoning to help make the dishes extra delicious.  I’m going to head downstairs to join the service.  I can hear the joyous songs from up here!