Take TWO! We started a post a few days ago listing three possibilities of service you could pay forward to improve the community. So here we continue the possibilities…

It was refreshing to hear Yolanda King, granddaughter of Dr. King, reflect on what this legacy means.

Onto our list:

#4 – One of the best things people can do, that many do not do, that does matter, is when you are in a parking lot- bringing in one, two, or three carts into the establishment – be it Lowe’s Food Lion, Family Dollar, etc – it is satisfying to know you are getting some exercise, as well as brining in your cart when you finishing and bringing your cart back, and you multiply how many people come to this establishment and if each takes one cart, the day of many will be lightened- seems ridiculous BUT – it makes a community feeling difference!

#5 -A very cool way of realizing different cultural practices and beliefs is FOOD. With so much swirl around the topic of immigration, one of the best ways is to delve into foods of various areas, prepare it, and then comment on social media about it and describe it, as well as what you have learned. This site is a great place to discover foods and if you are in the D.C. area, you can DEFINITELY try the menu – but for us on the eastern shore, this provides menu items we can look up, discover, try, and discuss and tie to various cultures!

#6 – Piggy backing off of the above link – a branch of that link found HERE (Scroll down)- allows you to help tutor and provide English help to immigrants, and what a cool welcome to pass on to others!

#7- Piggy-backing off the above two links – one of the best ways to support local businesses, not just restaurants, but services, from plumbing, to construction, to sewing to more, YELP. Create an account and highlight services, restaurants, businesses in your area and help them navigate tough business waters amid COVID.

#8- DIY’S- There is SUCH a distressing time for thrift stores currently. I rely on thrift stores for jeans and always have been able to find a great pair of Docker’s Levis or more there for half the price if not a third of the price of retailer’s and often in great condition – frequenting thrift stores is one way. Yet another – turn your attention to the items that are often dropped off that thrift stores cannot resell. Posting DIY’s on how everyone can repurpose these items – effectively, will allow others to repurpose or regift items that they would try to just dump off as a thrift store that they cannot resell. This is a HUGE advantage to thrift stores and lessens the space that they would NOT be able to use a space. Start your own instagram to do so, and if you do not know how, as your local school librarian or public librarian, they will show you how and you can impact your community!

#9- Again, piggy backing of the idea above, if you have NOT used Freecycle, WOW. You can grab items that can change your house and help others and it repurposes for free items that would otherwise end in the dump – YET- here is a even better purpose – Find a list of families in need of items, and search, post, and request items that can be delivered to a organization, home, family that needs these items! I cannot tell you how many items I have obtained, and resurfaced, resanded, repainted, and delivered to families that could use it. It is am amazing feeling to give new life to items to families in need, and can become a challenge to take off as many items from the Freecycle list as possible to get to others. An amazing service and great way to help others – there are areas in Sussex County, Dover and Wilmington for Delaware.

#10- Detergent bottles. Yeah, most of them DO NOT get recycled. Move away from these from filling up the earth and move to friendly eco strips or other (there are so many alternatives now!) but take the existing collection and put your children, the neighbor’s children, grandchildren, or create a lesson for your closest elementary school and create projects that can be reuse these plastic monsters to good use forever! From beach and overall organizing baskets, to glue gun stands/holsters, to bird feeders, watering cans to garden lights, it is possible and those detergent bottles recycled into something useful, other than taking up landfill space, will be even better to look at for years to come. yet this allows a workshop for groups at the local library, school, or neighbors!

#11- Audubon Bird count. Every February the Audubon Bird Count is on, and this helps show you how to get together with your community virtually. The 25th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 18, through Monday, February 21, 2022. We are developing a birding group, novice to expert, from the Vince Morris Nature Trail at Chapel Branch and would love to have your participation, and you will learn alot! Email me at harry.brake@gmail.com as we develop this network of community bird promoters!

#12-Events like Do More 4 Delaware and Giving Tuesday are the lifeblood of many non profits. Do More 4 Delaware occurs in March 3rd to March 4th for 24 hours – the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy relies on the support of our community- as many other nonprofits, and $3.00 per person x 200 people is HUGE!- Giving Tuesday occurs is always the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and a great way to pass on non-profits that you feel strongly about!

#13- Find your local school library and librarian, and ask to review a book that is in their collection. This is SO HUGE! I am ALWAYS needing reviews of books that are in our collection, and this allows librarians to display books with community member’s reviews, AND you can dip into the unknown and utilize books that stretch across many cultures, and provide your reactions to this book and this allows countless displays of books for patrons to see a community member’s review and reaction to- this creates a better connection between the community – YOU! – and the community of students in the school library – which is needed! (Did you see # 2 of this initial post?!!) If you want to jump right ion yes, I need your community reviews all the time and can recommend books that align with what we are focusing on as themes for this month! Email me please! 🙂 A GREAT way to tie connections that many might not know about in their school library!

We have TWO MORE! We will post these later tonight to make our top 15 as we let you soak in the details of how you can be more a part of your community and spread the legacy of meeting, benefitting, and interacting with your community, in the legacy left from Dr. Martin Luther King on this Day of service!