Zoom Connection to Biden's MLK Day of Service 2021

As a service-learning facilitator for a community service requirement for graduation at a private school in Oklahoma City, I have been involved with MLK Day Presidential Service Day for years. 

MLK Day National Day of Service 2021 was different as I was keeping safe at home.  I have been retired for almost three years, and I did not have a group of young people to connect their spark to make a difference to a real community need in person. 

For the first time, I was away from my grandchildren, I was not frantically learning how to use my sewing machine and making masks for family, friends, and workers in my neighborhood. 

I was on my own.  The virus had a new variation that helped spread Covid-19 more rapidly. The vaccine distribution in my state was not optimal.  The political landscape was toxic.  We had domestic terrorism inside the US Congress.  I was at home learning how to play the guitar and how to teach online.  

I felt, I needed to do something, no matter how small to honor the legacy of Dr. MLK, Jr., the memory of the friends whom I remembered on a yearly basis during Casady MLK Days of Service, who are no longer able to serve, and the fear building in my heart of how divided we were.

As I was thinking about what to do. These two songs were in the back of my mind.  I went to them from time to time to bring some hope and balance to my constant worry brought by the negativity of an America I could not even recognize anymore.

  

Thinking about the essential workers and the thousands of people who perished from Covid-19, I  decided to do something that will bring a smile to an essential worker, with whom I had limited interaction during the pandemic. The grocery store cashier at Aldi's was my first choice.  Aldi's is the store I went to during the lockdown when the fear of the virus was greater than the need to have fresh vegetables and fruits because we knew so little about Covid-19.  Aldi's was and is my grocery store of choice because they followed CDC guidelines, have good prices, and quality products.  I read that Aldi's is paying their employees to get vaccinated! I felt and feel safe at Aldi's senior hour.  

I was happy because I had found my MLK Day 2021, personal Gratitude Attitude Project.  I found the label for my project in a video my daughter-in-law sent me of one of the schools she was thinking could be a good choice for my grandson who will be entering Kindergarten next year.   I love the fact that this school requires the children to learn an instrument and I loved the song they were singing and the title of the video.

When the MLK Day emails came from former partner organizations like Americ Corps and the Presidential (Inaugural) National Day of Service Committee, I felt some other people might be interested in joining my grateful attitude journey.  

 

Two days before MLK Day 2021, I created a PowerPoint presentation titled, Grateful Attitude Brainstorming and connected it to the Mobilize website that was managing the logistics of service projects for the Presidential Service Website. I was surprised when they approved my project because of its simplicity.  

I was happy and petrified at the same time.  I had been a recent Zoom user, but I had never hosted a Zoom meeting. I had to learn how to host in a few hours.  If I were a tech person, that is a piece of cake, but to a senior citizen like me, it is a huge challenge.  

I hosted my first, trial by fire, zoom meeting for the Mobilize website.  I will change many things, but I was glad that only one person, did not enjoy my presentation, out of the eight who participated.  Twenty-two participants registered and received the PowerPoint.  My second zoom meeting with educator friends was incredible.  My friends helped me see what was going on at their side of the zoom and provide feedback for interaction improvement.

During my first Zoom, I realized how difficult teaching online has been for educators in 2020.  One participant arrived on time.  We started to have a wonderful conversation.  Nine minutes later, others began to ask for admission to the meeting.  I only had 20 minutes left, I could not go back and forth from the shared screen as I would have wanted it. Wish I had a person tending the chat to have a greater connection.  It was a hard experience, but one I will cherish as I connected to a mom who was there because my project provided something she could do with her toddler children.  As so many participants arrived so late, I chose to go on with the presentation because time was scaping us and I wanted to honor the schedule of being only a 30-minute brainstorming.

As I reflect on this project, I learned that the meaning of "I SEE YOU" is "I value and appreciate what you do."   A cup of coffee and a doughnut allowed me to see and feel "a smile" on both sides, the receipient and the provider of a grateful attitude.