On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, John Brown Lives! was honored to cohost a heartwarming and inspiring Family Day event with our friends at Snowfort. The day brought together 54 community members, including around 35 children and their parents and teachers, many of whom traveled from The North Country School in Lake Placid to join the celebration.
We kicked off the event with a captivating story hour led by the wonderful Winosha Steele, who read Last Stop on Market Street to an eager audience of children ranging in age from 3 to 12. Winosha did an incredible job making the story engaging and thought-provoking, prompting meaningful discussions about kindness, gratitude, and seeing beauty in everyday life.
Following the reading, we were joined by Tammy Johnson from the Westport Food Shelf, who sat down with Amy Robinson from Snowfort to discuss the importance of food security in the North Country. The conversation was eye-opening for many, especially in terms of how long the Food Shelf has been active—it was started by Tammy’s mother 50-some years ago. Tammy offered good insight into the food challenges faced by families in our region. Afterwards, everyone walked over to the Food Shelf to drop off six bags full of generous donations and get a firsthand look at their essential work.
Despite the chilly weather, the group enjoyed some time at the playground before heading back to Snowfort for a delicious southern-style lunch. We were treated to pulled pork, BBQ chicken, grits, collard greens, and banana pudding— a perfect tribute to MLK’s Atlanta roots (and Amy’s).
We want to say a hearty “thank you” to Snowfort and Winosha Steele for their hard work in coordinating this meaningful event, and to Tammy for her invaluable participation. Together, we honored Dr. King’s legacy through learning, community, and service.
