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Dear Colleagues:
The 2009 King Day of Service is just 39 days away, and I hope every member of the national service family is planning to participate.
This year we expect record participation across the country as Americans mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, one day before the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. This is a historic opportunity to engage Americans in service to their communities and act on Dr. King’s dream of justice and equality
Earlier today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden and their families will participate in service on the King Holiday in the Washington, D.C. area. We also anticipate that the President-elect will urge Americans to serve on the King Holiday. Click here for the official announcement, and here for a news story on these developments.
This involvement from President-elect Obama, which continues a tradition started by former President Clinton and continued by President Bush, will add significant momentum to what was already shaping up to be the largest King Day ever. Planning for the 2009 King Day of Service began last summer, and already more than 4,000 opportunities for people to serve are listed on the King Day website at http://www.mlkday.gov, and hundreds more will come online in the coming weeks.
We know this year’s King Day is coming at a time when many nonprofits and national service grantees are dealing with both increased demand due to the economic crisis and decreased support from the public and private sectors. These pressures may make your participation more challenging. King Day is an opportunity, however, to bring in new volunteers, partners, and funders that can provide resources to support your project throughout the year.
To help prepare for the King Day of Service, please visit www.MLKDay.gov. This site has a number of valuable resources that can help you including:
- Planning, marketing, fundraising and media tools;
- A project tool where you can register your project and manage volunteers; and
- New radio PSAs featuring Dr. Isaac Newton Farris, President and CEO of the King Center, urging Americans to serve on the holiday.
Recognizing the strong possibility that the number of Americans who will want to serve on the King Holiday will far exceed the supply of existing organized volunteer opportunities, we will be launching a series of Action Guides with easy steps that individuals and groups can take to organize their own projects to address issues including hunger, homelessness, energy conservation, and helping children and youth. These “turnkey” action guides will be posted on the MLK Day website next week, and we will let you know when they are available.
In short, we hope you will take three steps:
- Plan or connect with a King Day of Service project in your community;
- Register your project on the www.MLKDay.gov website; and
- Encourage your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to join your project or get involved.
If you have questions or need help, please e-mail mlkday@cns.gov or call Rhonda Taylor at 202-606-6721. I look forward to hearing of your accomplishments on King Day and beyond.
Yours in service,
Nicola Goren
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Corporation for National and Community Service
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