Lee Ann Harvey, the city of Decatur’s Lifelong Community Coordinator, on Jan. 18, 2014 talks to volunteers who have signed up for the city’s annual MLK Service Project. Photo by: Dan Whisenhunt

Decatur is holding its annual MLK Service Project this weekend, Jan. 17 through Jan. 19, and there are still opportunities to volunteer.

Hundreds of people attend Decatur’s annual three days of community service to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Volunteers team-up to repair the homes the city’s elderly residents. Everyone will gather at The Solarium on at 321 West Hill Street in Oakhurst and will fan out from there.

Last year there was a record turnout of more than 1,300 volunteers, Decatur Lifelong Community Coordinator Lee Ann Harvey said.

“We can always handle more volunteers,” she said.

Harvey said the MLK Service Project still needs…

– Gutter cleaning teams – Truck and ladder or truck with ability to carry a ladder would be preferable. No truck, no problem. We can have someone bring a ladder. If you’ve got a truck but don’t want to get on a ladder, we can assign volunteers to work with you.

– Materials transport – We try to anticipate having all of the materials needed when the weekend begins. Occasionally we need additional materials. We have volunteers set up at the Edgewood Lowes to pull those supplies. We are looking for more people with trucks to help pick up the materials and take them to the appropriate home.

–  Solarium preparation on Friday, Jan. 16, 1-5 pm – We are grateful to the Community Center of South Decatur for allowing us to use the Solarium at the Historic Old Scottish Rite Hospital as our base of operations. We protect the beautiful hardwood floors by covering them with paper. Volunteers will need to be able to kneel on the floor for an extended time to cut and tape the paper.

All volunteers should arrive 30 minutes before a shift starts. Volunteer shifts are:

Saturday, Jan. 17, 9 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm.

Sunday, Jan. 18, 1 pm to 5 pm.

Monday, Jan. 19, 9 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm.

“Help us be environmentally friendly and bring your own reusable water bottle. Please be sure to dress for the weather,” Harvey said. “Everyone, adults and youth, must have a signed release form. Anyone under 18-years-old must have the release form signed by a parent/guardian in order to participate in the project. Please have a separate form for each person. The release form and other information about the project are available at www.mlkserviceproject.com. Volunteers must be a minimum of 12-years-old, unless they are volunteering through a supervised organization, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Youth groups will be assigned to yard work projects.”

There will be breakfasts and lunches provided on Saturday and Monday, and there will be a celebratory dinner Monday afternoon, at 5 pm at the Solarium. The MLK Service Project organizers ask that you bring your own tools and gloves, if you can.

For more info, contact Lee Ann Harvey at [email protected] or 770-652-8593.