The Team: The Vulcan Materials Company squad of volunteers showed up to The Club at Brooklyn O'Malley ready to serve 'The Movement'.
It was fitting for Vulcan Materials Company, a valued corporate partner, to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a volunteer project at our Brooklyn O’Malley Club. This company that produces construction materials for large scale projects nationwide stepped forward to take on one of our most pressing clean up jobs—the Club’s backyard. After this past summer’s remodeling of its interior, the fenced backyard needed a sprucing up to prepare this vital space for programming. Our Clubs in South Baltimore at Brooklyn O’Malley and Westport along with our Eastern Shore Club at Pocomoke High School are perfect locations for Vulcan’s philanthropic scope of outreach. The company has also lent its services to Clubs in both Harford and Cecil counties. The fifteen volunteers from Vulcan who showed up to Brooklyn O’Malley made quick work of this more than one person job and left the space in great shape for outdoor programming as the weather warms up.
The Assignment: Brooklyn O'Malley's backyard area is a fantastic space that just needed some professional labor to remedy the area to make it suitable for members to play and learn.
The morning sun covered the backyard area where this great deed took place on a holiday where service in the name of equality is paramount. Neighborhood children enjoying the nearby playground just beyond the gated area busy with working volunteers was a reminder to every member of the team behind this act of generosity was going to help over time. Being able to educate our members—both indoors and outside—helps to broaden their personal expectations academically, socially and emotionally. Vulcan Materials service at Brooklyn O’Malley helped us to see the full potential of what this space could offer our members during every season. Glenn Cobb, Vulcan’s Manager of Government Affairs and Community Relations Northeast Division, understood the significance of the day and the unity it creates within his company and within the larger community of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore.
The Work: These volunteers did the job--and then some. Above and beyond was the direction of this task as they raked, leveled and even gave support to the pavement without needing to be asked to do so.
“We feel very fortunate to work for a company like Vulcan that wants to do outreach in the communities where we’re located,” Cobb said. “We have seen the great work the Brooklyn O'Malley Club has been doing, helping the youth of this region, which is why we wanted to lend our services to help clean up and organize the outdoor space. Now the kids will have a clear space to play when spring arrives. The Martin Luther King Jr. service day event was also great for us because many of these Vulcan employees who volunteered their time rarely get the chance to work alongside each other—so it was nice to be able to do this service together for such a great organization.”
The Clean Up: Hauling bags teeming with leaves and debris before wheeling out a potentially hazardous barren tree was all in a day's work for our dedicated team of Vulcan Materials volunteers.
Bags full of gathered leaves, dirt cleared from the stone tiles of this space and the restored beds of topsoil primed for springtime gardening were some of the many changes a part of the hard work done by Vulcan Materials. What some will view as only community service is in part a very large piece of ‘the dream’ of equality and access to better educational opportunities imagined by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Banding together for a greater purpose to give the next generation better footing on their paths to their great futures is what propels The Movement onward to positively influence all members. Tianda Hendricks, Club Manager at Brooklyn O’Malley, knows the importance of the work completed by Vulcan. Just listen to her initial reaction to the finished project.
The Reintroduction: Watching the sun and shade cover the newly cleared space opens the imagination full of possibilities awaiting our members and the rest of the Brooklyn O'Malley community.
“I love-love-love it,” Tianda said, visually panning the area. “There’s no overgrowth creeping up in the walkway--no rocks. It’s safe for the kids to come out and play. It’s very clear back here now and clutter-free. I like how the benches are right next to the standup basketball hoops so they can watch others play.”
Tianda’s enthusiasm reflects the collective gratitude we at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore have for Vulcan Materials Company and what its volunteers were able to accomplish for our community.
Want to see what other companies and organizations are transforming our Clubs? Click here to stay up to date with all the news shaping The Movement happening here in Metropolitan Baltimore. Click here to find out how you can add to the impact shaping the lives of our youth this Mentorship Month and all year long.
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