On September 21, 2023, the ECD Finance team gathered at Forest Ridge Apartments in Columbia, MD, for a day filled with heartfelt community spirit, teamwork, and purpose. The team focused on revitalizing the "neglected" after-school program space.
A group of 39 volunteers took part in the event. They assisted in deep cleaning the desks and storage areas, organizing materials for the school programs, and painting the walls with a fresh vibrant orange color. Also, they constructed new bookshelves, desks, and storage units to improve functionality and give the space a new fresh look.
The volunteers worked together to create a comfortable reading corner complete with new seating and a soft floor mat, providing a warm welcome and haven for young readers. To ensure that the reading corner was not only inviting but filled with a diverse selection of reading materials, the volunteers collected book donations from ECD for children and adults of all ages.
Around 700 books were donated through the book drive, which was not only given to Forest Ridge but also other communities as part of the ECD Reads initiative.
A special shout-out goes to Gabe Taylor for organizing an amazing service day, and to the volunteers and Forest Ridge team who were also
instrumental in the planning and execution process: Michele Mitchell, Cynise Williams-Riley, Alex Jeanty & Kevin Orsie. The day was filled with heartfelt community spirit, teamwork, and purpose, and the ECD Finance team had a great time giving back to the residents in an intentional and impactful way.