Washington, D.C.— Taking paint brush in hand, President George W. Bush today joined volunteers helping to beautify a Washington, D.C. high school as part of a national day of service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

“I encourage people all around the country to seize any opportunity they can to help somebody in need, President Bush said. “And by helping somebody in need, you're honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King. And by helping somebody in need, you're really helping yourself because you're lifting your soul.” (Click here to read the President's full remarks)

The President joined U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and other volunteers at Cardozo High School in helping paint murals depicting local landmarks and inspirational leaders of American history. The volunteers, who also spruced up the school and wrote postcards to people affected by Hurricane Katrina, included Jean Case and Mary Jo Myers of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation; City Year AmeriCorps members; employees of the Bank of America and America Online; Congressional and federal agency staff; and dozens of middle school student volunteers.

The President was one of hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who made the King federal holiday a “day on" for service -- not just a day off from work – by participating in service projects in their communities. The King Day of Service is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and other service programs and which works with thousands of community organizations, businesses, schools, and university groups nationwide to organize service projects on the King Holiday.

Participation in the day of service has grown steadily since 1994 when Congress passed legislation encouraging Americans to celebrate the King Holiday as a day of service reflecting Dr. King’s life and teachings. More than 2,000 volunteer projects are taking place in all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Projects include tutoring children, building homes, cleaning parks, painting classrooms, delivering meals, and assembling disaster kits, and more.

“This is shaping up to be the largest King Day of Service ever, and we’re grateful to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are honoring Dr. King by making this a day on, not a day off,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Throughout his lifetime, Dr. King was dedicated to making our country a better place for all citizens. There is no better way to honor him than by continuing his life’s work.”

Eisner, who is spending the day with 300 volunteers beautifying a high school in Birmingham, Ala., sees the longer-term benefits that come from engaging in service on the King holiday. “The King Day of Service can be a springboard to year-round volunteering that benefits everyone involved – the people serving and people being helped. One of the best ways to honor Dr. King’s memory is to become a mentor to young person who needs a caring adult in their life.”

Here are snapshots of projects from around the nation. A more complete list is at http://www.mlkday.gov/:

Birmingham, Ala.— More than 300 volunteers will converge on Parker High School to paint murals throughout the school depicting the Civil Rights struggle that involved many of the school’s students and took the life of one, Addie Collins, who was one of the four girls killed by a bomb at the 16th Street Church in 1963. Students, parents, AmeriCorps members, community members, corporate volunteers, and employees of The Home Depot will participate in the event, along with Corporation CEO David Eisner.

Phoenix, Ariz.—Through a collaborative partnership with the Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center and Make A Difference (Hands On Network), the Arizona Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism is sponsoring dozens of projects, including a large scale neighborhood revitalization project, campus beautification at Gateway Early College High School; creating a Unity and Diversity Garden at Madison Park School; and MLK Unity Day, a civic education event that will kick-off with lessons about Dr. King and his teaching and continue with youth breaking off into work circles for group discussions, participation in service projects, and essay writing. The number of service project in Phoenix for the Day of Service increase nearly 90 % over last year.

Los Angeles, Calif.— More than 85 partners are working together to engage up to 40,000 volunteers in a variety of projects. On Saturday, a King Day Gang Summit was held to bring leaders of warring gangs together to discuss and layout a game plan to stop the senseless violence and gang killings that dominated the city last year. The National Alliance of Faith and Justice, through its partners across the country, is working to mobilize up to 10,000 at-risk youth in service-learning (through the PEN OR PENCIL: Let Me Read You Your Rights Initiative) and to engage a minimum of 25,000 adults and college students to train as mentors during the Justice Sunday National Recruitment Initiative and continuing through the rest of the year. In addition, AmeriCorps members serving with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps will work with 400 volunteers to repair the exterior of the homes of 25 elderly residents of Pacoima including gardening, clearing debris, and removing bulky items from the premises. Volunteers from Hope Worldwide will beautify rooms, hold a literacy fair, and feed the homeless at Union Rescue Mission

Sacramento, Calif.— More than 1,000 volunteers are expected to volunteer together to strengthen local neighborhoods, community centers, and agencies that provide direct social services to their communities. Hands on Sacramento is leading the projects, which include repairs, cleaning, painting, landscaping, and sorting donations.

Bridgeport, CT.— More than 500 volunteers – double the number of last year – are expected to serve on 30 projects throughout the city, including a “Service to Seniors” educational program at the University of Bridgeport to prepare students to help seniors in the event of a disaster and an arts and crafts project for youth and seniors at the Matt Jones Foundation.

Washington, D.C.— About 10,000 volunteers, including numerous federal employees, are expected to serve at the 80 project sites sponsored by Serve DC. Volunteers are invited to bring used clothing to opening ceremonies at the Howard University Business School; donations will be sorted by Howard students after the ceremony. Other projects include a cleanup of a homeless shelter sponsored by the DC Jewish Community Center; a cleanup of the Pope Branch Stream with AmeriCorps members serving with the Earth Conservation Corps; and the beautification project at Cardozo High School.

Bloomington, In.— More than 54 projects involving around 1,500 volunteers are planned including projects include activities for kids, students, adults, seniors and entire families. The volunteers will be honored at a community-wide event tonight in downtown Bloomington with speakers including Mayor Mark Kruzan, Monroe County Commissioner Iris Kiesling, Ivy Tech-Bloomington Chancellor John Whikehart, King Commission Chair Barbara Fuqua, and Congressman Baron Hill.

Louisville, Ky.— Service for Peace is hosting the fourth annual Greater Louisville Martin Luther King Season of Service. More than 3,000 volunteers are expected to serve in over 30 local projects. Volunteers from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club will assist Boy Scout troops in cleaning and painting the Wayside Christian Mission; youth volunteers will perform at an afternoon Day of Service recognition event; and 100 Home Depot employees will paint the Shawnee Community Center.

New Orleans, La.— More than 400 volunteers from AmeriCorps, Hands On New Orleans, City Year, Volunteers of America, the Points of Light Foundation, Interfaith Works, and other nonprofit organizations will gather to paint, landscape, and undertake a general clean up of John McDonogh High School, one of the many New Orleans schools that suffered substantial damage when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

Buffalo, N.Y.— The West Seneca Youth Bureau/Western New York AmeriCorps has joined with the Hands On Network to bring the “Seats for Social Justice, a public art project that celebrates the lives of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and their accomplishments against social injustices, to Greater Buffalo. The AmeriCorps members will recruit 30 artists who will design themes for bus seats and with the help of 400 community residents will serve the community as they transform these symbols of the social struggles of the 50’s and 60’s into canvases of hope. Claudette Colvin, one of the originators of the Birmingham bus boycott, will attend the event, as will AmeriCorps Director Kristin McSwain.

Philadelphia, Penn.— With more than 600 projects involving 55,000 volunteers, Philadelphia again leads the nation as the city with the most King Day of Service volunteers. Among other projects, Mayor John F. Street, other elected and School District officials, community leaders, students and others will join 200 volunteers assembling more than 2,000 emergency preparedness backpack kits, while 200 other volunteers from community organizations, AmeriCorps programs and students from Martin Luther King High School will be trained by the American Red Cross in emergency preparedness outreach. At noon, volunteers will load the backpacks into vans, which will be driven to community organizations throughout the area.

Memphis, Tenn.— More than 300 volunteers, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Memphis Mayor Herenton are expected to transform the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences charter school (MAHS) into an inspirational environment for learning.

Atlanta, Ga.— In Dr. King’s birthplace, more than 7,000 volunteers are expected to serve through 100 projects. Hands On Atlanta, the organizer of the region’s King Day of Service activities, hosts a the King Service Summit, which explores Dr. King’s timeless messages of service, activism, diversity and nonviolence and presents tangible methods for Atlanta’s citizens to unite and change their community through volunteerism and social action.

The Day of Service is supported by numerous national organizations, including the American Red Cross, America’s Promise, the Arizona Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Year, Do Something, First Book, Habitat for Humanity International, Hands On Network, HOPE worldwide, National Alliance of Faith and Justice, National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, Service for Peace, United Way of America, Volunteer Match, and Youth Service America. National corporate sponsors include Bank of America, Best Buy, Cargill, Clear Channel Communications, Comcast, and the UPS Foundation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for more than 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. The Corporation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each year by spearheading a national Day of Service for all Americans. For more information, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov.

###