Consider Adopting a Needy Family to Celebrate Martin L. King Jr. Day
Monday, January 16, 2006
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to
have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and
verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated
by love." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The community is invited to the 12th annual celebration of the life and
work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 16, 2006. This
year’s festivities will include a luncheon as well as an opportunity to
assist families devastated by the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The luncheon, free to the public, will feature keynote speaker Sean
Eversley Bradwell, Assistant Professor in the Center for the Study of
Culture, Race & Ethnicity at Ithaca College and performances by local
choirs. It will be held January 16th from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the
Beverly J. Martin School Gymnasium, 302 W. Buffalo St. Workshops and
dessert follow the luncheon at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, 318
N. Albany Street.
As a lead in to this year’s event and to continue the tradition of Dr.
King’s "Day of Service", we are asking individuals, agencies, church
groups, local businesses and others to assist families displaced in the
Gulfport and New Orleans areas by purchasing items they desperately need.
The committee has identified over ten families who are in dire need of
clothing and items related to medical needs. If you or your organization
is interested in assisting a family, contact information is listed below.
Special Guest Leetta Allen-Haynes from New Orleans will speak at the event
at 3:30 p.m. at GIAC.
In addition, care packages are being assembled for each family that will
contain donated items of health & personal care products. Products can be
dropped off between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday from
January 9th through the 12th at the following locations: GIAC at 318 N.
Albany Street; the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County at 615
Willow Avenue; CRESP at 119 Anabel Taylor Hall, Cornell; the Cornell
Public Service Center at 200 Barnes Hall, Cornell; or the Greenstar
Cooperative Market at 701 W. Buffalo Street.
Items can also be brought on the day of the celebration. Items needed
include soap, deodorant, lotion, shave cream and razors, African-American
hair care products—shampoo and conditioner, etc. To see a complete list
of personal care items visit www.psc.cornell.edu. Tax-deductible
contributions are also welcomed as the committee has a goal of raising
monetary funds for each family. Checks can be made payable to “CRESP, c/o
MLK Katrina”.
Please contact Amy Somchanhmavong at 254-8072 to receive information about
assisting a family or volunteering on the day of the event.
The day is organized by the Greater Ithaca Activities Center; the
Multicultural Resource Center; the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social
Policy at Cornell; the Cornell Public Service Center; the Greenstar
Cooperative Market, Ithaca College’s Office of Multicultural Affairs,
Campus Life at Cornell University; Ithaca College’s Center for Student
Leadership and Involvement; and Cornell Cooperative Extension of TC and
community members. It is co-sponsored by the City of Ithaca.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20060105130240838