Vanessa Jackson worried briefly that below-freezing temperatures might have a negative impact on the volunteer turnout for several Martin Luther King Jr. Day service projects.
Those fears were quickly put to rest Monday morning at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, which served as the launching pad for a day of celebration and service around the city.
"I was overwhelmed when I saw the turnout," said Jackson, who coordinated 21 projects around the city.
An estimated 400-500 volunteers showed up early in the morning to participate in the city's day of service activities. And that didn't count those who volunteered for numerous other service projects sponsored by other organizations throughout the area.
The city's director of multicultural affairs, James McKissic, said the projects focus on a different neighborhood each year.
This year, the city projects focused on the area surrounding the AT&T building, where a mammoth mural that includes a depiction of King was dedicated as part of the holiday festivities.
In the shadow of the mural, a group of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students picked up trash along the streets. A quarter of a mile to the east, Baylor School juniors and seniors inventoried the Chattanooga Community Kitchen's freezer.
Other projects included a "sidewalk sale" to help clothe the homeless and one assisting churches with outreach and maintenance.
"This is a day on for us," Baylor School assistant headmaster Shaw Wilson said as students with cold hands trickled past him and into the Community Kitchen cafeteria. There they ate with those who depend on the kitchen for their meals and for refuge from the cold winds.
"It makes you appreciate the basic things so much more," Baylor junior Gabriel Womble said. "I've never had to worry about being cold before, and it makes you process things like that a lot more."
Most of the projects concluded around noon, in time for the downtown mural dedication ceremony, where everyone mingled together in anticipation of the event.
"It was a good mix of people." Jackson said as volunteer groups streamed back to the tent around noon. "We had a lot of corporate support, a lot of families, a lot of school groups that participated. It was great to see."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
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