January 20, 2025

Children’s community service day honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Indianapolis

Seeds of Caring and the Madam Walker Legacy Center hosted the 2nd annual MLK Day of Youth Service on Monday. - Zach Bundy / WFYI

Seeds of Caring and the Madam Walker Legacy Center hosted the 2nd annual MLK Day of Youth Service on Monday.

Zach Bundy / WFYI

Seeds of Caring held a MLK Day of Youth Service in Indianapolis. The nonprofit seeks to empower children to “create a kinder community with their hearts, hands, and minds.” It organizes action to help people through struggles -- including welcome kits for new Americans and sack lunches delivered to people who are hungry and people who are unhoused.

This is the second year it partnered to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life with the Madam Walker Legacy Center. Brandy Jemczura is the Founder and Executive Director of Seeds of Caring. She said at the event, “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.’"

The event was split into two sessions, with the morning session bringing in over 200 kids to participate. Activities included making dreamcatchers to state what their dreams are for the world.

Dr. King famously delivered his ‘I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1963. He was assassinated in 1968, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a national holiday in 1983. It was not embraced by all states until 2000. It is now celebrated each year near his January 15 birthday, on the third Monday of January. 
 



At the Madam Walker Legacy Center Monday, children also made ‘use your voice’ posters – to remind them to speak out for the changes they want to see in society. Children addressed climate change, being kind and human rights.
 


“Whether they’re 3, 5, 7, 12 years-old – that they know they’re never too young to make a difference…We want them to know that they can be part of that change,” Jemczura said.

Cynthia Edmond came to the event with her grandchildren and sister.

“I wanted them to be.. to understand being involved with the community, and we all live in this world together,” Edmond said.

The children also participated in three hands-on service projects: breakfast kits to support children that are experiencing food insecurity, cleaning kits for newly-housed neighbors, and suncatchers to spread cheer and joy to seniors in the community.
 


Edmond also said she thinks we have lost Dr. King’s dream throughout the years, and she believes we need to get back to what he stood for.

Brooklyn Lowery said she heard about the event from a friend who works for Seeds of Caring, and she was there with her 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. She said it is a great way to spend the MLK holiday this year, in particular. 

“We are all keenly aware we are a heavily divided country at this point. And I think this day, in particular being Inauguration Day, is this very tangible reminder of how divided we are. So coming together [is good], with this common idea that ‘I have gifts, I have skills, I have time that I can give to my community,’” Lowery said.

Lynda Parker echoed that sentiment of service. She and her husband, Thomas, attended the event with their granddaughter. She said the day is one to teach children to be of service to others, but that doesn’t have to be once a year.

“It's maybe working in a soup kitchen, or help stock a food pantry, or doing children's activities for women in domestic violence situations -- and that's 24/7-365 days a year. It’s being of service to others. That’s what life is about,” Lynda said.

Thomas Parker said we need to be cognisant of the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr.’s service and the things that Dr. King was "trying to get the human race to understand."

Contact WFYI digital producer and reporter Zach Bundy at zbundy@wfyi.org.

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