BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Hundreds of people in Baton Rouge used their day off to give back. An army of volunteers suited up for a day of hard work.
"Exhausting! Exhausting! But (I'm) doing it for the community. It's a good cause," Ja'leen Brock said.
Kappa League of Baton Rouge and several other groups brought their hearts, talent and time to Winbourne Elementary School. They found you don't have to be in a classroom to learn a something.
This youth group is planting a garden, while others spruce up the playground and entrance to the school.
"It's going to give them a better look and make them more confident and more wanting to come to school," Jelana Washington.
Caden Samuel has joined church members from Greater King David Baptist. They rolled out a fresh coat of paint on the walls of Istrouma High School. He said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be touched by their efforts.
"I think if he were here today he would be very proud to know how far we came from way back when to up to now," Samuel said.
Istrouma High Principal Robert Webb Jr. is happy his school is getting a makeover but more pleased with the message.
"I think that speaks volumes of where our youth are going because when we look around we see ages three, 18, 24, 19. That's amazing," Webb said.
The good deeds spread beyond schools to homeowners who might not be able to do the simple things, like rake leaves or touch up an old paint job on their house, even take out the trash.
"She's so appreciative. She keeps telling us every chance she gets that she's so appreciative that she wouldn't be able to do this without us. It makes us feel good that we were able to help her," Kali Johnson said.
Volunteers who participated in the MLK Day of Service worked at six schools and three houses.
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