100,000 volunteers, projects sought for 18th annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service

Posted 1/4/13

More than 100,000 volunteers and over 1,500 projects are being sought for the 18th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, to be held on the Jan. 21, the Martin Luther King …

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100,000 volunteers, projects sought for 18th annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service

Posted

More than 100,000 volunteers and over 1,500 projects are being sought for the 18th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, to be held on the Jan. 21, the Martin Luther King federal holiday.

The Martin Luther King Day of Service celebrates Dr. King’s legacy by transforming the holiday from a day off into a day ON. Individuals and organizations are planning area projects across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

“What started eighteen years ago as a local project has become a growing nationwide movement of celebrating Dr. King’s legacy by uniting people of all backgrounds and ages and turning pressing community concerns into ongoing citizen action,” said Todd Bernstein, president of Global Citizen and director and founder of the Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service and MLK365.

Global Citizen, the nonprofit organization that leads the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, also runs MLK365, which expands the King Day of Service into a year-round program that promotes sustainable civic engagement and volunteer opportunities.

Last January’s Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service was once again the largest King Day event in the nation, with 100,000 volunteers participating in nearly 1,500 service projects across the region.

Organizations are invited to host service projects on Jan.21. Examples of projects being planned include starting a mentoring program, renovating and weatherizing houses, organizing after school programs, beautifying schools and recreation centers, creating safe corridors programs, participating in anti-violence initiatives, preparing and distributing food at homeless shelters, delivering meals to homebound seniors, reading with children about Dr. King, organizing health fairs and legal clinics and performing plays about Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement.

All organizations already planning to participate should contact the King Day of Service headquarters to register their project at www.mlkdayofservice.org. Registered participants will receive a King Day of Service T-shirt. Following each project, discussion and reflection will take place focusing on the legacy of Dr. King and the importance of service.

Any individual, family, and group interested in volunteering or hosting a Jan. 21 King Day of Service project should call 215-851-1811 or register online at www.mlkdayofservice.org. Information about many service-day events can also be found at www.facebook.com/phillykingday and www.twitter.com/mlkdayofservice

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