Berke Bulletin: January 7, 2019

Dear Friends,

Martin Luther King Jr once said: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”  Every day, all across Chattanooga, people like you are doing so many great things to move our city forward. It might be picking up litter in your streets and parks, it might be mentoring a child who needs some help, it might even be taking part in a peaceful protest to make your voice heard.

However, you’re choosing to get involved with making our world better — thank you for all that you do.

Every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the entire city of Chattanooga comes together to rededicate ourselves to service. This year, MLK Day falls on Monday, January 21, and on that day, I hope you’ll join me in giving some time and energy to a project that means something to you. We’ll spend the day cleaning up local landmarks, preparing and delivering meals to those in need, reaching out to children and seniors, working on new public art projects, and dozens of other activities to make Chattanooga better for all of us.

Last year, we had over 1,000 volunteers working on more than 50 different projects, and we want to do even more this year — so we need your help.  If you have an idea for a service project, or if you want to get involved with someone else’s project, please visit Connect.Chattanooga.gov/MLKDOS.

We’ll kick things off at 8:00 a.m. on the morning of January 21 with a rally at Maclellan Gym on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before we get to work all over the city. I hope to see you there.

2018 saw Chattanooga experience only one fire-related death, more than 100 fewer fire calls, and a new mutual aid agreement between the Chattanooga Fire Department and fire agencies in 13 counties across Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Thanks to the leadership of Fire Chief Philip Hyman and new collaborations throughout our region, all Chattanoogans will be safer in the years ahead. You can read more about CFD’s recent accomplishments in the Times Free Press.

Together, we can do some great things for our city. Have a great New Year, and let’s get to work.

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