SitemapMartin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is a day off for many in the Valley, but for others it's a chance to give back to the community.
Volunteers were busy cutting bushes and cleaning up properties on Youngstown's north side Monday morning.
They are doing it to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his teachings.
Anika Jacobs from Neighborhood Revitalization Vista said, "We're working together no matter the color, the race or the neighborhood. Everyone is coming together to do one thing and that's to fight blight."
They're doing more than just cleaning up; they are also boarding up vacant houses.
"There's a lot of crime in these, a lot of drug activity, so we're trying to get them boarded up to keep the community safe," Jacobs said.
Temperatures hovering at around 11 degrees didn't keep the 50 volunteers away from getting up early and doing some hard work. Today alone they'll clean up 30 different homes.
Volunteer Derrick McDowell of Struthers said, "The dedication to be out here, especially for this temperature, really sends a message to this community that as an individual it doesn't matter one house or a hundred, you can make a difference."
Another volunteer from Struthers, Jordan Taylor, said, "We really love our city. We want to make Youngstown a better place. Y.N.D.C. does an awesome job just doing a lot of practical things trying to beautify the neighborhood so anything we can do to come out and lend a hand we're all about it."
In Trumbull County, people were working inside. Habitat For Humanity welcomed a dozen volunteers Monday to rehab two homes in Warren. Some are doing some finishing touches on one home while workers in another are doing some demolition work.
Catlynn Midlick from Habitat said, "It gives families in our community an opportunity to have a decent and affordable place to live."
A family will be able to move into the home late next month. Habitat usually rehabs homes when it's cold and then they'll build new in the spring.
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