Burlington, Vermont - January 16, 2012
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day we honor and remember the slain civil rights leader for his work to promote social justice across the country. Decades after his death students in Burlington are keeping his legacy alive through service to some of their neighbors in need.
Nine-year-old Logan Steele is rolling up his sleeves to give these cars a good cleaning at the Good News Garage in Burlington. "It's really sad for people that have to get to work, and they can't be late, and if they are fired, then they don't have a lot of money," he said.
Steele and his fellow Cub Scouts from Burlington's Den 5, Pack 651 spent the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday helping the non-profit get ready to roll out this fleet to needy families who might otherwise struggle to get where they need to go.
"Some people cant get to work and especially now, it's really cold and it is hard to get public transportation and so these cars are donated to people, that don't have any cars," Steele said.
Seventh through 12 graders from the Vermont Commons School were also in on the cleaning action. For them it's part of an annual day of service at locations across the city.
"Having a car is like really a big part of your life, so it really could be a big change in your life to have a car," said the school's Gabe Mantegna.
The Good News Garage delivers roughly 200 cars and 30-thousand rides a year to area residents who don't have the resources to get around.
"Detailing and cleaning a car is quite expensive, so for us this saves some money and time for our mechanics and it is just a great Martin Luther King Day of Service project for us," said Beth Hershel, the group's volunteer organizer. Hershel says having kids use the holiday to help out exposes them to the inner-workings of a non-profit. "It is just great to have the kids sort of see the other side of things in terms of a non-profit and how they work. It is just great to get them in here and say this is what we do everyday," she said.
And before you start wondering whether the meaning behind the holiday may have been lost amidst all of this soap suds and community service, Steele has this message about MLK.
"He let black people and white people be equal and it is a very good honoring day," Logan Steele said.