Kaiser Volunteers Give Back in Union City to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr

Kaiser Permanente employees Angelica Martinez (left) and Silvia Barajas paint an umbrella at Itliong Vera Cruz middle school in Union City on Martin Luther King Day.

On Monday, January 16, about 80 Kaiser Permanente employees and family members volunteered at two Union City schools to mark the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. The volunteers were joined by hospital executives and Congressman Eric Swalwell to honor of the legacy of service of Martin Luther King, Jr. by giving back to the community. The recipients of the volunteer efforts were Alvarado Elementary School and Itliong Vera Cruz Middle School.

From about 9am until about 3pm, volunteers engaged in a variety of projects to beautify the schools, including painting table umbrellas, making foursquare play areas more colorful, and decorating a teachers’ break room. One group of volunteers replanted the elementary school’s garden while another designed and executed a large mural for the middle school’s all-purpose building. The activities were coordinated by Hands On Bay Area, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with projects in need of assistance.

Alvarado Elementary School’s population is about half disadvantaged students, including more than a third of students being English-language learners, and also serves a significant population of autistic children. Principal Marcus Lam greatly appreciated the volunteer efforts that made his school more colorful. “When an outside group comes to the school to help out, it adds hope and excitement and energy. It’s great to know that other people care,” he said.

If you’d like to volunteer some of your time in the community, opportunities are available at Kaiser Permanente medical facilities in Fremont, Union City, Hayward and San Leandro. Find out more at our Southern Alameda County Volunteer Services page.