NEWBURGH – The holiday marking Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday may be just a day off for some, but for many, it is more. It’s an opportunity to uphold one of the civil rights leader’s dreams of doing good for humanity.
That brought about 75 adults and several kids out on a frigid Monday morning for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh’s annual Day of Service.
Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Cathy Collins pleased
with the work volunteers were doing inside the police station
Building bat houses at Habitat headquarters
At age 75, James Perine and his wife were wielding paint brushes. Both are retired New York City teachers now living in the hamlet of Wallkill.
“But I’ve done this my whole life, you know, so I actually enjoy it, believe it or not,” Perine said. “But, it’s very fulfilling; it’s very satisfying to see the transformation.”
Another longtime volunteer is Celeste Bloomer.
“The mission is wonderful and the volunteers are terrific,” Bloomer said. “Everybody works to help everyone else and it comes together.”
The Perines and Bloomer were painting the interior of the Newburgh Police Station, a bit of a departure from focusing on residential units, although other teams were fulfilling that mission.
Habitat Executive Director Cathy Collins said there was good reason for helping the local police this year.
“Hopefully the police officers feel better,” Collins said. “We do that as part of our neighborhood revitalization effort and the police actually have been partnering on this project with us, as well.”
Back at the cavernous Habitat headquarters on Washington Street, two groups were hard at work. One group, adults, painted bright white doors that will end up in rehabilitated Newburgh homes. The other group, young kids including a couple of preschoolers, helped assemble bat houses for the Stony Kill Foundation.
