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New Online System Enables Organizers and Volunteers to Register for Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Americans are urged to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy on January 15, 2007 by coming together to participate in volunteer projects that improve life in their communities. Registering and volunteering for projects will be easier than ever this year, with a new online system that links people to community service opportunities.
The Corporation for National and Community Service encourages all Americans to make the King Holiday a day ON, not a day OFF. January 15 will mark the 21st observance of the King Holiday. The day became a national day of service in 1994, when Congress passed legislation to give the observance even more significance.
More and more, Americans are observing the holiday actively. Instead of using the time off from work and school for leisure and shopping, they increasingly are honoring Dr. King’s memory and teachings by participating in the thousands of community projects that include mentoring at-risk children, feeding the hungry, and cleaning vacant lots.
“We are asking every American to get involved and honor Dr. King with a living memorial of service on this holiday,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Dr. King’s legacy was bringing people together across racial and socio-economic lines through meaningful activity that resulted in a better and more unified country. All of us can build on that legacy by reaching across artificial barriers to serve our neighbors and address community needs.”
Service projects come in all forms: some are sponsored by single organizations and others involve partnerships of charities, communities of faith, government agencies and businesses. Some are intensely local – projects at a school or a street – while others are citywide. Some are designed for only one day while others continue.
This year, Americans will find it easier to identify projects. A new online system has been implemented to enable organizers to register projects in every state and the District of Columbia. The system can be accessed at www.mlkday.gov. The Web site contains a host of resources and ideas as well as photographs of previous King Day of Service activities.
Citizens are urged to visit the site to find opportunities on January 15. After entering the site, they should click the How to Serve link and the Click here to find a MLK Day opportunity link to connect to a nearby project.
Organizations should click the Resources for Organizations link for information to register and produce a successful event.
Examples of projects are:
- Holding a workshop or putting on a play about Dr. King's life
- Organizing an oral history project to document and tracing community history
- Helping prepare and serve meals at a homeless shelter
- Removing graffiti from a building, paint a mural, or clean up a public space
- Bringing meals to homebound neighbors
- Making a public space accessible
- Building a playground or community garden
- Organizing and participate in a neighborhood watch
- Collecting clothing, canned goods, and other items for a local shelter
- Registering bone marrow and organ donors
- Performing small chores and home maintenance projects for elderly neighbors
- Arranging a health fair
- Teaching seniors how to surf the Internet
- Sponsoring a legal clinic
- Devising craft projects for children in hospitals
In spite of the variety, all projects have one thing in common: They are connected to the life and teachings of Dr. King and his message to unite people around a common goal to improve conditions in America.
The King Day of Service comes midway through National Mentoring Month, which highlights the importance of bringing caring adults into the lives of children who need their guidance, support and encouragement. The Corporation is leading an effort to provide mentoring services to 3 million additional children and youth in at-risk environments. Recent Corporation studies show increases in the number of mentors.
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.
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