By Sydney Melson
The Birmingham Times
Be a Blessing Birmingham, an organization dedicated to helping the underserved in the city, on Monday honored the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King by sorting and packing donations for delivery to those in need.
About 20 volunteers, including members of the Tri-County chapter of The Links Incorporated, gathered at the Green Springs Mini Storage on Jemison Road to collect diapers, baby wipes, toilet paper and other supplies and put together “Blessing Bags.”
“It’s a way we honor [Dr. King’s] sacrifices, honor his legacy and continue to strive towards that equal justice and community that he fought and died for,” said Erica Starr Robbins, founder of Be a Blessing Birmingham. “We want to make sure we’re continuing that legacy. It’s important to show our children so when they get older, the service doesn’t stop. It’s all about doing what we need to do for each other as a community.”
Robbins said giving is year-round, not just on MLK day. “We strive to do what we can to take care of those less fortunate than ourselves,” she said. “It’s all about community. We’re all one bad situation away from being in the same place. Housing, food and COVID insecurity are all a part of social justice as well.”
Kathy Bonds, vice president of the Tri-County chapter of The Links Inc., said a day to honor Dr. King is “fundamental in African American history and it exemplifies our role as African American citizens in the community: to help the underserved,” she said. “Be a Blessing is giving back to the community in a way Dr. King would have wanted us to by helping those in need.”
Janice Jackson, another member of The Links Inc., said a day of service in MLK’s honor means acknowledging struggles that have been around for a long time. “This is not new. If you know the history of Birmingham, we’re still trying to improve the relations that we have with all the other members of the community here, so it’s still important to fight for the rights of the entire community,” she said.
The challenges include not just injustice, but also the challenges many face from COVID. “There’s so many people who are in need of basic necessities, some that we might take for granted,” she said.
