Proud to Serve: MLK Day of Service Success for EarthCorps & Seattle

Despite a challenging economy, people signed up to volunteer with EarthCorps in record numbers to help create healthier urban forests and more vibrant neighborhoods -- especially in Seattle's ethnically diverse and low-income neighborhoods.

See the news clip about record volunteering with EarthCorps and other organizations this weekend on King 5

Events over MLK Weekend included:

• Dr. Jose Rizal Park: restoring forests on the steep hillside overlooking Safeco Field and the International District. Named for a Philippino activist, this forest was once known as "The Jungle" and was taken over by feuding heroin gangs. Neighbors have since taken back the park, with help from many groups, including 100 volunteers led by EarthCorps on Saturday.

• Dearborn Park: this forest neighboring an elementary school is undergoing a transformation from a neglected area into a community resource. Almost 100 volunteers joined EarthCorps on Sunday to lend a hand.

• Cheasty Greenspace: this 57-acre area near Rainier Valley / MLK Way hosted 399 volunteers on Monday, removing ivy, blackberry and mounds of debris. Over the past several years, EarthCorps volunteers have reclaimed much of the area from invasive plants, uncovering a valuable natural area for people to picnic, jog, walk dogs and just enjoy the rare January sunshine together.

Thanks to the tremendous outpouring of support from volunteers, we made excellent progress on transforming these natural areas into truly valuable habitat and community gathering space. On Monday alone, volunteers removed invasives plants and maintained nearly 100,000 square feet of greenspace (almost 2.3 acres) in the 57-acre area of Cheasty Greenspace.

Dr. King on serving your community:
"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."