Widow’s Harvest and volunteers honor MLK with day of service

Margaret Elise Allen, Virginia Williams, and Hudson Phillips apply primer to a deck outside the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Margaret Elise Allen, Virginia Williams, and Hudson Phillips apply primer to a deck outside the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Emmett Gienapp January 17, 2016 3 min read

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Widow’s Harvest and volunteers honor MLK with day of service

Airlean Hutchins, 83, waits for volunteers to arrive at her home to help repair it on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Creagh Goings, left, talks with Airlean Hutchins, 83, before starting to work with other volunteers on Hutchins's home on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Volunteers hold paint buckets outside the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gracie Evans, left, and Caroline Crafton apply a coat of primer to the exterior of the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kathleen Wilson, left, and Meme Everett apply a coat of primer to the exterior of the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Caroline Knight applies a coat of primer to the mailbox outside the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Volunteers Jeffrey Jones, Sarah Hydinger, Caroline Knight, and Creagh Goings, clockwise form left, apply a coat of primer to the mailbox outside the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Forsyth Elliott, left, talks with Henry Meehan as he applies primer to shutters on the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Harrison Clark applies primer to the exterior of the home of Airlean Hutchins, 83, on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local volunteers and a Birmingham mission group worked with Widows Harvest Ministries to paint and repair parts of Hutchins's home during a day of service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time of celebration for Americans across the nation every year, but Saturday a group of volunteers chose to honor the civil rights icon two days early by joining Widows Harvest in a day of service.

A group of 50, including local volunteers and members of a youth mission group from Birmingham, Ala., worked on the homes of widows in East Chattanooga and helped with the interior demolition of a home donated to Widows Harvest in St. Elmo.

After the historic home is fully restored, it will be available for purchase, and the proceeds will help fund the many ongoing projects of the organization.

While leaning on his truck outside a widow’s home in the 1400 block of Arlington Avenue, project coordinator Dick Mason said that the nonprofit assists approximately 540 widows in Chattanooga every year.

“That could be anything from fixing a loose door to changing a light bulb in a closet to doing a full roof repair,” he said.