For the 10th year, University Area residents and community volunteers will “Paint the Town” in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service. Hundreds of people will work together to add landscaping, plant vegetables, paint, build wheelchair ramps and otherwise lend a hand to those in need.
Many living in ZIP codes 33612 and 33613 are veterans, seniors, single parents, and disabled residents who have difficulty maintaining their homes due to physical and financial constraints. So, the Day of Service focuses on those areas.
“We usually determine the project after hearing of the needs from volunteers,” said University Area Community Development Corp. CEO Sarah Combs. “There are a plethora of opportunities, and the volunteers usually give us their preferences on the types of projects they want to work on.”
The CDC sends volunteers out to work on projects where they can have the most impact, Combs said. “Every year is a little different. It’s nice because we will have businesses bring in teams working beside residents and community volunteers.”
This year, volunteers will paint the backboards at the three basketball courts located in the community, and plant vegetables and flowers at Harvest Hope Park. Registration to volunteer is open on UACDC’s website.
“Some teams will pick up litter and others will help with home landscaping projects. It’s pretty amazing how many projects we have done over 10 years.”
The whole concept for Paint the Town was born out of a need to get more individuals from outside the University Area to come and see the community for themselves, Combs said. “This is how it came about, to show a bigger impact in community development. We wanted to be able to help people to roll up their sleeves and dig in.”
Since the very first year, companies like JPMorgan Chase have used Paint the Town as their annual charity project, she said. “It creates community efficacy and is a great learning environment.”
Investing sweat equity during Paint the Town has also helped draw in more residents to work beside outside volunteers, to take more pride in their community, Combs said. In addition to making repairs, volunteers will also pick up litter and generally clean up the area. They may also lay sod, mow yards, repair fences and replace windows.
Paint the Town is one way the University Area CDC helps residents to take more pride in their community, which increases their property values and brings them together as neighbors.
MLK Day is the only federal holiday set aside as a day of service to encourage Americans to take action in their communities.
“Making time to volunteer for MLK Day of Service is a great way to engage with your community while honoring the legacy of Dr. King,” the volunteer group AmeriCorps states. “Whether you plan on cleaning up a public space, mentoring a young person, or assisting those who are food insecure, what you do makes a world of difference.”
AmeriCorps has been charged for more than a quarter-century with leading the volunteer effort on MLK Day, held each year on the third Monday of January to honor Dr. King. It is an opportunity to recommit to King’s legacy of social justice and equity. It allows people to strengthen ties in their communities while at the same time addressing critical issues that might otherwise divide people.
AmeriCorps offers a search button so people can find volunteer opportunities in or near their own communities. Community activists can also create free project listings for opportunities they wish to share with others.
The City of St. Petersburg devotes a web page to volunteer opportunities, as does Hillsborough County.
And the University Area CDC, which has been around for more than 20 years, is devoted to volunteer partnerships that increase family development, help prevent crime, promote commercial growth and otherwise focus on the at-risk area surrounding the University of South Florida’s main campus in Tampa.
The CDC’s work has resulted in more than $80 million in construction development and the creation of a Community Center Complex.