Derek Bundy and his friends spent Saturday morning "spreading light" by decorating five Chatham homes for the holidays.
After adorning the first home — in the 9600 block of South Martin Luther King Drive — with string lights, beaded garlands, festive baubles and a wreath, Bundy said it felt like he was "spreading light during a time when the world is in a dark place."
"This is about being a positive force in the community," said Bundy, of South Loop. "I think we have this tendency to think change always needs to be really big, but it actually happens like this: block by block."
Bundy and his friends were among a few hundred volunteers decorating South Side homes for the holidays as part of My Block, My Hood, My City's seventh annual Be a Part of the Light initiative.
The nonprofit, which aims to break the cycles of generational trauma through community and youth programming on the South Side, coordinated the event with the goal of decorating 500 homes along Martin Luther King Drive between 35th and 110th streets.
Jahmal Cole, founder and CEO of the group, said the effort was about inspiring home and fostering a sense of community.
"It's up to us to design a community the way we want it to be," Cole said. "It's not inspiring to see bulletproof windows or decrepitness, so I want kids to walk outside and see some garland on the poles that interrupts the trauma they're going through for just a little bit and allows them to have hope."
Cole started the Be a Part of the Light tradition seven years ago after decorating one person's house on South Martin Luther King Drive and seeing the overwhelming response to the effort.
"The lady went on the NextDoor app and told her friends, who were like, 'Why can't you do my block too?'" Cole said. "Next thing you know, we're here years later doing 500 homes."
The volunteers started arrived early Saturday at a parking lot at 8330 S. King Drive, where they checked into find out which homes they'd be decorating and received large bins full of holiday decorations.
A DJ played classic holiday tunes while a nearby food truck served treats like hot chocolate, coffee and doughnuts.
"I'm here for the sense of community," said Mariana Gourlay, who was volunteering with her mother, little brother and friend. "I really value being able to spend time with my family, doing something that feels so important.
Gourlay's mother, Kristin Gourlay, said the family drove from Oak Park to give back to a part of the city they don't often visit.
"It should be year-round, but this is a great time to show love to all of our neighbors in the Chicago area because we love this whole city," Kristin Gourlay said. "We're just 10 miles away from this area, but it's a new neighborhood to me, and I'm really enjoying getting to experience this and be part of such a welcoming community."
People driving past the volunteers honked their car horns to cheer on their decorating efforts, while neighbors walking by the houses thanked volunteers for decorating.
"Lighting up the neighborhood and getting to see this palpable joy as the decorations go up is inspiring," said Smyrna Osae, a University of Chicago student who was volunteering with three of her classmates.
The four first-year students said they work closely with the university's Community Service Center and have been looking for ways to get involved with more communities on the South Side.
"It's important for us to get out of our bubble at the university and be active members of our community," said Lilianne Asokwah.
Another student, Akil Leggett, said the decorations also served as a reminder of the hope that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired.
"There's this illumination happening here that no matter what community you come from, there's always someone going through a dark time," Leggett said. "But this is a beacon of light or hope that reminds us all your community is supporting you."
