Veterans not done giving back to community descend on Baltimore for service project

The sacrifice our service members make is no secret. In addition to deploying overseas for months at a time to less than desirable locations often putting their lives on the line, they also spend significant time away from their families. So it's fair to say veterans have done their fair share when it comes to giving back. But some still want to do more. 

“When I was younger, somebody did this for us, in my neighborhood,” Navy veteran Thylicia Britt said. “Why do I do this? I feel like you’re supposed to.”

Britt, who traveled from Los Angeles was one of more than 80 veterans from across the country who spent five days in Baltimore volunteering their time as a part of The Mission Continues’ fourth-annual Mass Deployment.

Wearing blue "Operation Charm City Change" t-shirts, the threat of high heat and humidity which can stifle much outdoor activity in Baltimore didn’t diminish the vets’ enthusiasm. 

"It is rewarding," Britt said.

A desire to serve communities in need brought Jacob Kratavil, a 12-year U.S. Army veteran. He joined The Mission Continues, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering vets to continue their service and help underserved communities because it presented him the opportunity for vets to serve not only their own community but others.

“Some groups only serve the veteran community. Others are inward-looking, but this is outward looking,” he said. “I like going and hanging around with other veterans and I like helping other communities, too.” 

Volunteering their time in some of the poorest areas of the city veterans spent Sunday in Harlem Park, a west Baltimore neighborhood which ranks as one of the poorest in the city and is one of 14 Baltimore neighborhoods with a life expectancy lower than North Korea. The next day they found themselves in the Brooklyn and Curtis Bay neighborhoods. That’s where Ben Franklin High School is located. The only high school in that community it has faced the possibility of being closed twice after the state labeled it as one of the “worst-performing” schools based on test scores. 

Before they began working Monday, Baltimore-born former NFL linebacker turned activist and art teacher Aaron Maybin reminded the vets to not discount the impact they were having in these communities just by being there. 

“A lot of people have a grandiose view of what change is: Ending poverty, ending hunger,” Maybin said. “Change doesn’t work out like that. Think smaller.”

“These areas will really benefit from the work you’re doing here,” he said. “Projects like this really are important not just for the school, but for the community to see mass mobilization.” 

Kratavil, who was in Baltimore for the first time, knew he wanted to come because the work here would pack a punch.

“Not to be negative about a place,” he said, referring to numerous issues facing the city, “but this is a place where you can have a big impact.”

His team was tasked with building a compost bin in the school's courtyard used to grow fruits and vegetables attached to a science classroom. To Kratavil, the advantage of working with fellow vets on a project like this, “There's no ego and people come to work.” 

Despite having just met a few days prior Army veteran Cecil MacPherson and Marine Corps vet Chris Barreras say they enjoyed the lack of egos on their team.

“Everyone being able to click once they met, and I’ve missed that,” said MacPherson, who served over 20 years as an officer.

“It mimics what we miss with the military. We don’t miss the politics, all that other stuff. But you do miss the camaraderie," Barreras said. "It gives you a bond that you don’t just create with anybody else,” he added.

“Even though we did not serve together, we all have that understanding of what everybody else went through,” he added. “Even though we didn’t know each other, we do know each other.”

Kimia Flournoy, who leads Atlanta's 3rd Service Platoon, also said the camaraderie was a big bonus and repeated The Mission Continue’s five core values: Work hard, trust, learn & grow, respect, and have fun. 

“At this service job, always work for the whole,” she said. “No one person builds a bench. No one person builds anything.”

“It takes more than one person to do this. You don’t have to do it alone,” Flournoy, a five-year Marine Corps veteran, said.  

Despite having to race to finish, Britt, Barreras, and MacPherson finished their task. And though it was just a small patch of land at one school in one south Baltimore neighborhood, there was a definitive feeling of accomplishment and pride.

“If we can, you should be doing something,” she said. “If you are in a position to give back, you should give back,” Britt said.