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Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day With a Day of Service

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Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Make a Day of Service Kheel Center, Cornell University via photopin

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day may technically be a day off of work for many Americans, but it can be a day "on" as well. There are activities that can be done with the whole family to commemorate the day and celebrate the great life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Celebrating Dr. King's birthday can be about remembering the past as well as impacting the future.

This year will mark 32 years since legislation was signed creating a federal holiday to commemorate the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1994 the holiday was designated by Congress as a national day of service. Ever since that designation, there have been numerous opportunities for people of all ages, races, and walks of life to serve their communities across the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people honor the legacy of Dr. King through acts of service. Dr. King wanted all Americans to live up to the potential he saw in America and by volunteering at a grassroots level you can do just that.

This year on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 think about making service part of your tribute during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday.

NationalService.gov, the government entity dedicated to providing opportunities for service, describes the Day of Service as one that "empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community".

The MLK Day of Service is a part of President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Stand.

There are hundreds of service volunteer opportunities in communities across the country during the week of Dr. King's birthday.

You can find options by going to nationalservice.org and entering your location to find ones close to you and that meets your family's needs. There is also an option to register your own project so others can find it and volunteer too.

Examples of service opportunities include working in a community garden, helping out at local schools, and cleaning up historically African-American landmarks. Individual communities, churches and local organizations may have service opportunities as well.

During this year's holiday commemorating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. think about what you can do to make the United States a better place. In both big and small ways, you can transform Dr. King's teachings into real actions that provide tangible solutions.

Sources:

Nationalservice.gov. Web. 14 January 2015. "About Dr. King and MLK Day."
http://www.nationalservice.gov/special-initiatives/days-service/martin-luther-king-jr-day-service/about-dr-king-and-mlk-day

Allforgood.org. Web. 14 January 2015. "Volunteer opportunities."
http://www.allforgood.org/volunteer/opportunities?distance=50&vol_loc=30126&category=MLK%20Day&submit=go&op=go&page=1

Photo credit: Kheel Center, Cornell University via photopin cc

Reviewed January 15, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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