Each year, for MLK Day of Service, YouthBuild Philly honors the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by partnering with a local school or recreation center. We were excited to partner with the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy (MANA) this year to help beautify and bring new life to their school community; the event kicked off bright and early at 9 am and invited over 200 YouthBuild Philly students, staff, partners, and volunteers to collaborate on multiple projects. MLK Day of Service may be a day off for some, but for YB Philly, it’s a day on and an opportunity for us to serve and bring our community together to embody the dream of MLK. 

Volunteers from all across the region joined forces with our students and filled the halls of MANA with vibrant energy. Together, we designed inspirational murals to help brighten the school’s common areas and hallways. Volunteers also organized classrooms and sorted donated school uniforms and materials. 

Thank you Ms. Luz, Dean Boone, Mr. Taylor, and our AmeriCorps Community Projects Coordinators (CPC) for organizing this year’s event. This small but mighty team spent many days and hours leading up to the day of the event sketching the murals, arranging supplies, and preparing the space for our volunteers.

After a full day of collaborative work, we noticed a positive and beautiful shift in the hallways of the school – the vibe and ambiance felt much brighter. MANA students expressed a sense of community and belonging, having the opportunity to collaborate with YB Philly on such an impactful project.

Each year, MLK Day of Service is a subtle reminder to us all of the extraordinary things we can do as a community when we work together. This event could not have been possible without the continued support of our dedicated students, staff, and community supporters. Thank you to our friends at EY and Seer for joining us and helping to make this event a huge success. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event! 

Yours in service,

YB Philly