A few weeks ago, I photographed a service event organized by City Year Boston at the Lewis-Higginson School in Roxbury. The school’s gymnasium, a few corridors, and some bathrooms were in desperate need of new paint jobs, but the school had neither the resources nor the manpower to get the job done. So while all of the students were on February vacation, the school’s City Year staff arranged to have other corps members, corporate partners, and community members volunteer to spend a day repainting – and reinvigorating – the K-8 school.
I had the privilege of photographing the event and watching these volunteers work, cooperate, get to know each other, collaborate, laugh, smile, and otherwise have a great time putting a new face on this old school. When they were finished, the school’s mantra – Respect Ownership Accountability Responsibility – was painted in bold colors throughout the gym while the corridors and restroom looked bright and fresh. I was so glad to participate in the event by documenting it, and my hope is that in seeing these great photos and the smiling faces, more people will be inspired to volunteer for service events like this in the future.
