JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Crews of employees from Entergy, Julep, Mint, The Mississippi School of Law, and Irby Lighting were hard at work this weekend building a four bedroom home and a three bedroom home. New Habitat for Humanity houses are being built along Garden Circle. The work started Friday.
Habitat for Humanity Executive Director, Cindy Griffin, says they are building 25 homes in Englewood Gardens, of which 15 of them will be finished by May.
It's a huge step in the right direction for the neighborhood, an old army barracks, as Howard Ballou pointed out in Taking Back Our Neighborhoods. It has become a literal dumping ground in recent years.
But the neighborhood is coming back quickly on this Martin Luther King Day of service.
"We're here for five days to celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday, give our employees partnering with us a chance to give back," said Liz Brister, Manager of External Affairs with Entergy Mississippi.
And it was the same at the Smith Robertson Community Center on Jon Hart Street. The center is a place where senior citizens converge. But on Saturday, younger generations teamed up to paint, clean and improve the surroundings.
Murrah High School Junior, Mary Spooner, is with the mayor's youth council. She said, "Service isn't always what its stereotypically put out to be. This behind the scenes cleaning, painting, that's where you find out who really loves service work."
Cristy Trader with Americorps said, "We're trying to enhance the quality of life for people in Jackson and we just try to come out and help any way we can."
The clean up is another project of the mayor's clean team in Jackson.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
