A light bulb went off for Elizabeth Southard when she thought about what kind of project she'd like to organize for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
She'd collect light bulbs -- fluorescent light bulbs -- for people in the Carver neighborhood, where her Carver Healing Arts Gallery is located behind the Siegel Center.
"We were talking about what was important to us," Southard said of a December meeting at which about 50 supporters of President-elect Barack Obama gathered at the gallery to consider future efforts together.
"We were instantly drawn to the environment. Someone asked how many of you use fluorescent light bulbs. One woman said they were too expensive. So, we decided to do a light-bulb drive."
Today, volunteers at the gallery will collect fluorescent light bulbs and accept donations to buy more. About 3:30 p.m. they'll distribute the bulbs to residents of Carver and Jackson Ward "along with information on the safety of fluorescent light bulbs and why they save money in the long run even though they cost more up front," Southard said.
The gallery will also collect pet supplies for the Richmond SPCA and coats for homeless people. A volunteer job table will offer information on other opportunities for service.
More than 70 projects will be going on in the Richmond region during today's National Day of Service in honor of King.
Most of the projects are registered at www.usaservice.org, the Web site transformed from an Obama for America campaign vehicle to a platform for connecting volunteers and projects during the pre-inaugural weekend.
A dozen other Richmond-area projects have been organized through Hands On Greater Richmond and its Web site, www.handsongr.org.
John Murden, a teacher at Richmond's Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, registered at Hands On to make a bamboo screen for a fence at the Neighborhood Resource Center on Williamsburg Road.
"I've been on the e-mail list for Hands On for a long time," he said, but he hadn't found a project that worked with his schedule until now.
"This is perfect. It's Martin Luther King Day. It's my part of the city. I can easily help out. And I've crossed paths with it a few times. I see some of my students there sometimes. They get a lot of use out of it.
"It's good to get out and be hands-on and make a small difference."
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will spend some time at Tri-Cities Habitat for Humanity, working with students from the College of William and Mary and participants in AmeriCorps and ElderHomes at three Petersburg sites.
"We hope we will be able to get a bunch of Sheetrock hung," said Myra Knapp, volunteer coordinator for Tri-Cities Habitat. "We also have some work on the porches that may get done. We will be managing approximately 80 volunteers."
The joining of service projects, Obama and King seems natural to the Rev. Tyler C. Millner of Martinsville, who often comes to Richmond around this time of year for a King-related event. He organized Richmond's Community Learning Week to celebrate King's life and ideas seven years before the national holiday was recognized. He said he's pleased to see projects around the state and nation.
"Obama puts back life in the holiday," Millner said. "Obama's election really is a fulfillment of one of the primary things that the dream was all about: A man should be judged not by his color but by the content of his character."
Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or kcalos@timesdispatch.com.
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