Students in sixth through twelfth grade at World Community Montessori (WCM) celebrated
Martin Luther King Day by participating in a service project, working with REACH in Roanoke,
Va. REACH provides hands-on opportunities for groups to engage in service in the community.
One of REACH’s primary initiatives is the Southeast Neighborhood Revitalization Project.
Abandoned homes are purchased (typically by the city), then renovated completely by volunteers
and partnerships with businesses who donate time and materials.
The houses are then sold to families with strong ties to the community in hopes that their new
home and their changed lives, will create a ripple effect through the community.
Both of these homes are in the first stages of remodeling. WCM students worked hard and
thoroughly enjoyed doing demolition – knocking plaster off of walls and ceilings, removing old
beams, and clearing debris.
