January 21, 2013 is a federal holiday as it marks the Rev. Martin Luther King Day of Service. This day allows us to pay tribute to Dr. King through service and leadership. The MLK Day of Service, also, in a way, provides an opportunity for the community to transform his principles into real action and address real problems. Volunteers and projects are devoted to helping the community and society in various ways, whether it be a tangible or spiritual need.
If you are interested in getting involved or participating on MLK day, the great news is that it’s open to people from all backgrounds and ages. Finding a nearby project to serve for MLK day is easy, you simply have to click on the website’s Find a Project box, fill out your zip code, and you’ll be able to locate a nearby community where you can volunteer. In fact, you can even plan your own project and create a unique way to get yourself and others involved for the MLK Day of Service. Or, you can read on below to learn more about some volunteering ideas you can do with family and friends:
- Recruit a group of family and friends, and together, have a training session on how one can be a mentor, tutor, or tax preparation assistant. When you have your materials ready, you can help a nearby community who needs your service and teach or mentor them for a day.
- Communities will always have a group of youth or unemployed who may need some training in creating a resume, how to dress professionally, or how to behave and respond during interviews. Training people for these skills will provide them with valuable knowledge that will enable them to have their own livelihood and learn professional skills, and it will certainly go a long way.
- You can also gather together and host a discussion about Martin Luther King, his principles of non-violence, and his life to keep his story and vision alive. You can also discuss certain problems your community is experiencing, and people can voice out how they can concretely solve these issues in different ways.
