That's right! We finally distributed the first batch of our MLK Peace Benches. Rene, Edie and I loaded them up and off to community centers we went! Last Friday, we delivered the first 15 and I tell you, they went like hotcakes! We delivered them to the Pan Am, East Austin, Dottie Jordan, Zaragosa, Camacho, the Carver and then some! Check out the highlights....
Rene, Mando and the City truck filled with MLK Peace Benches!
The ladies of the Rosewood-Zaragosa Community Center
L2R: Kathy, Patsy, Nancy and Cipriana
Pan-Am Cantu Community Center Staff
L2R: Leroy, Ernest and Desi
Love at the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center
Dana & Marissa trying out their Peace Bench at the Grandma Camacho Center
To view the rest of the pics, click on our MLK Peace Bench Project album
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| MLK Peace Bench Project |
Our goal is to build 100 MLK Peace Benches in 2008. Look out for them in community centers, libraries, schools and churches! Want to build one or ten? Send me an email!
Mando
Director, Hands On Central Texas
1 comments:
ok ok ok yes this is my first official blog..but I could not avoid the pull of the MLK Peace Bench project.
I am the Director of Volunteer Services and Community Partnerships at Communities In Schools-Central Texas (and an Advisory Board Member of Hands On Central Texas).
Now to the more important stuff..A few weeks ago on (what happened to be the 40th anniversary of the assasination of MLK), a group of 15CIS staff members completed 4 MLK Peace Benches at our all-staff retreat. We only had an hour and 15 minutes to complete the project so the benches came to us assembled (thanks to Diana's family. With the help of various kind people (thanks Tammy, Gina and Jen)---we sanded and stained the benches. Then the magic happened..after a brief discussion about community art and the MLK Peace Bench Project..the groups got to work. Using a list of MLK quotes for inspiration ...organic..beautiful art began to emerge..our benches said things like "Peace", "Art of Acceptance" and "At the center of non-violence lies the principle of love". Doves and hearts and a mosaic sunburst appeared on the wooden canvas. After less than an hour, we had created 4 amazing pieces of functional public art.
The benches made their way via Enterprise rental truck to our offices where they awaited their coat of polyurethane. After days of avoiding rain storms and flying pollen, we finally got them outside to be sprayed.
Our office happens to be situated on the beautiful frontage road of i-35. To avoid polyurethaning the cars in our parking lot, we placed the benches on the easement right by 35. We purposefully faced the benches towards the traffic and began spraying them. We heard a police siren and looked up to see a funeral procession heading right by us. The cars were going slowly in the procession. The people in the cars began slowing down even more to read the benches. What a poignant message to see as they were heading to lay a loved one to rest. The polyurethane fumes that lingered in my nose (and hair) for hours were a reminder of the message these benches carry. simply said..peace. Live in Peace, Rest in Peace, Be Peace.
Our benches will be placed in schools and community locations as places where mentors and their mentees can meet. Hopefully, the benches will inspire conversations and thoughts about the kind of community we want to live in and will carry a message of Hope. Hope for a peaceful world.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in such a powerful project.
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