SCI-Wide MLK day Activities

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, SCI celebrated with a variety of activities, both here in Woburn, and in the other communities that we serve.   Our youth councils especially got into the spirit, with Woburn, Milford, and Dorchester putting on special events.

The Woburn Youth Council put on variety of service activities at the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The day included writing letters to troops, care packages for children in hospitals, a craft for local seniors, among other things.

In honor of MLK Day, the Milford Youth Center Youth Council volunteered at the Milford Daily Bread Food Pantry. They helped unload a truck delivery of food and stock inside the pantry. This was the second time members of the Milford Youth Council has helped out at the food pantry. MLK Day is also when the MYC Youth Council and Milford Youth Center will began work to educate themselves and the community on how to combat the issue of childhood obesity in preparation for their Nutrition Decathlon in April.  The Nutrition Decathalon is funded by a UnitedHealth HEROES Grant they just received.

In Dorchester, Maggie Casey, an SCI AmeriCorps Member, and her youth council filmed and edited a special MLK edition of their film series "What's Up Works".  During this episode students reflected on the importance of Martin Luther King's legacy, the status of education about MLK in dorchester schools, and a reading of one of Martin Luther King's speeches by one of the students.

In Woburn, Social Capital Inc., along with St. Johns' Baptist Church held their annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Luncheon at the Hilton Hotel.  Rev. Pearson of St. John’s opened by emphasizing the importance of cultivating a diverse network of friends as a first step to honoring Dr. King’s legacy.  Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin and Superintendent Mark Donovan were among the Woburn officials on hand to honor Dr. King’s legacy and the award recipients.  Elaine Dougherty received a Community Drum Major Award to recognize her work with the YMCA International Learning Center in Woburn.  MLK scholarships were presented to four graduating seniors.

Keynote speaker and Drum Major Award recipient Thomas A. Farrington shared his civil rights movement experiences, including working to integrate facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina.  He also spoke of how his experiences led him to found the national organization, the Prostate Health Education Network.  Both of these stories exemplified the luncheon theme described in the Dr. King quote “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Guests joked that the compelling solo rendition of “When the Saints Come Marching In” may have been in part to support one of the four remaining teams vying for the Super Bowl!

The Luncheon was once again organized by St. John’s Baptist Church in collaboration with SCI and the City of Woburn.  Ron Walker served as the event chair and Master of Ceremonies.