On Monday, January 15, the Bainum Family Foundation continued its annual tradition of participating in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, this year joining forces with partners United Planning Organization (UPO) and Lakeshore Learning to serve Eagle Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. Twenty Foundation staff members rolled up their sleeves to assemble furniture, deep-clean facilities and set up classrooms for the school’s new early learning program for infants and toddlers up to age 3.

While this work occurred in only one day, the Foundation’s investment and partnership with Eagle Academy goes far beyond. In collaboration with the United Planning Organization’s Office of Early Learning — another valued partner — we are working to create 56 new high-quality early learning seats at the charter school and provide Early Head Start comprehensive services for all of these children and their families. The partnership is part of our 2020 Strategic Plan to increase the availability of high-quality early learning seats in the District of Columbia’s Wards 7 and 8.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is all about coming together as a community and giving back,” said Henrena Brunson, Benefits and Wellness Manager for the Foundation and organizer of the service day. “To spend the day with our colleagues, completing boots-on-the-ground work for one of our passionate partners, made the event all the more rewarding.”

We look forward to Eagle Academy’s continued impact in the District and to further collaborating with them to serve the children and families in our community.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

— Martin Luther King Jr.