Volunteers honor MLK

More than 150 volunteers from area schools, churches and clubs in Lake County spent their day off Monday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

AmeriCorps VISTA's Youth Conservation Corps held its annual Day of Service at 12 locations, paring the volunteers with non-profit organizations.

"We started this four years ago with about 20 volunteers," said Bob McCammon, executive director of the Youth Conservation Corps. "Today we have about 157 people out working."

At Lambs Farm, volunteers from Warren Township High School and Starbucks in Lake Bluff helped remodel the restaurant bar, painting and wallpapering to match the dining room.

"I normally sleep in on this day until about noon," said Pauline Lacson, 16. "I figured I might as well and get up and do something good."

Warren Township High School was one of four schools to participate in the program. Others were in Waukegan, North Chicago and Abbott Middle School.

Denedra Richardson, of Great Lakes Naval Station, works at Starbucks and brought her three sons, Dacari, 10, Jakiran, 9, and Dequane, 6, to assist with the painting.

"I've done painting like drawing and painting before, but never any house painting," said Dacari, as he rolled up his sleeves and got ready to work.

Other service sites included the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Park City where volunteers from North Chicago High School packed food boxes; Old School Forest Preserve near Libertyville where invasive species were removed; Partners for Progress in Gurnee where volunteers assisted with general horse maintenance; and A Safe Place in Zion.

Volunteers worked from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"It is just a wonderful way to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King," McCammon said. "He was not only a civil rights activist but also believed in giving back to the country he loved."