MLK Service Project update

After Christmas vacation, PCO has been gettin’ back into the swing of things. Right now, we are working with 3 volunteers from Owens Community College in Ohio. They’re pretty great, and doing lots of work on 11th Street and Hill Road.

As many of you likely know, having received an email from me a few weeks ago, we are currently fundraising for our big Wheelchair Ramp build on January 18th, 2010 – our MLK Day Service Project. Just to let you know, we have raised $310 so far!

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far – and, of course, if you haven’t, there is still time to do so.  All funds raised go straight to supplying materials for the wheelchair ramps that will be built – no administration or maintenance costs.

And when you donate, you will receive one of these in the mail soon afterward, to recognize your generous support of PCO:

Five people will receive these these within the next day or two, and more are on their way to the post today!  Snail-mail may have that title for a reason… but I certainly enjoy getting a physical piece of mail instead of letters on a screen!

Remember, we are still accepting donations until January 11th – that means you still have just over a week to donate!  Make checks out to: Presbyterian Community Outreach, with MLK Day in the memo line; PCO, attn: Maggie Mullane, 1041 9th Street, Slidell, LA 70458.

Finally – today is the last day of 2009!  May you all have a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to working with you in the New Year!

Martin Luther King, Jr – man, prophet, revolutionary

In honor of our upcoming MLK Day event, I have checked out from the library several books on and by the man himself.  Currently I am reading Martin Luther King, Jr.: Spirit-Led Prophet, A Biography, by Richard Deats.  The point of the book is to look at and learn about Dr King as a Christian leader – not just an amazing man who has moved millions with his speech “I Have a Dream.”  I’m about half-way through this short book, and I’m a little ashamed to say that I have learned tons.

What has impacted me most is the realization of how little I knew about and understood the nonviolent civil rights movement – basically headed by King.  Sure, I learned that events happend, like the Montgomery bus boycott, the Sit-Ins, and the Freedom Rides.  Sure, I knew that they were demonstrations of nonviolence.  Sure, I knew that racism used to be even more prevalent, and that it used to have many, many more occasions of disgusting violence and abuse… But I didn’t really know.

When the buses in Montgomery were finally integrated, there was violence against the blacks on the bus on the very first day.

Regarding the sit-ins, Jameson Jones wrote this:
“When called names, they keep quiet.  When hit, they do not strike back.  Even when hostile white youth pull hair and snuff out burning cigarettes on the backs of Negro girls, the girls do not retaliate.  They pray and take what comes, with dignity.”
(in motive, a campus magazine, as quoted in Deats’ book)

Burned with cigarettes?? I merely got cut off in traffic today, and I was ready to hit someone.

Reading this book has made me realize that I don’t truly understood the great difficulties that King not only faced – he stood up against them!  He not only learned about nonviolence – he taught other people to believe in it, too!  The struggles of this man and his community don’t quite fit into my nice little understanding of the world.  Which means that I am being stretched, taught, challenged, and thus growing – in my understanding of reality, of Christ’s love, of the people of the faith.

I am growing full with such a great awe and respect for this man among mans… and the fact that he found such comfort and inspiration in God and his religion.  Dr King took many great risks in his life, but he did it because of the motivation he got from knowing and loving Christ.  Dr King was a true revolutionary – his own church even stood against him, even though he knew what he was doing was right.

So, now I am looking forward to finishing this book, and also to move on to reading other texts written by King.  I am also getting more and more excited about the event in January!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day Project

PCO is excited to announce that we will be hosting a service project on Martin Luther King Jr Day in January!

Partnering with the Wheelchair Ramp Ministry of First United Methodist Church of Slidell, volunteers from around the area will gather on January 18th, 2010 to build ramps for citizens in need in and around Slidell.  Louisiana’s Delta Corps program has already promised 40 volunteers, which already means at least 4 ramps!

FUMC’s Ramp Ministry began about 15 years ago.  They took a break during the year of Katrina, at which time the church focused its efforts on rebuilding their building.  According to the head of the program, since they started back up again in 2007, the rate of requests for wheelchair ramps has increased – likely due to changes in population and damaged housing that has yet to be repaired, in addition to the need that was already there.

I invite the entire PCO community to follow us on this endeavor!   Find more information in the MLK Day page (link at the top of the blog) about the project, its needs, and how you can help!  And keep checking the blog for updates on how the planning is coming!