Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Excitement is building because the holiday falls on January 19th, the day before the Presidential Inauguration. President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and their families plan to participate in the day of service in the Washington D.C. area.

Many groups and individuals already have pledged to use the day of service as a springboard for year-round civic action, such as mentoring at-risk youth or school-based projects that engage students in semester-long service programs. Obama has asked every American to do the same.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee is planning to launch a Web site later this week that will make it easy for people to find or organize volunteer opportunities. The Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that has led the national effort to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service since 1994, is working with the Presidential Inaugural Committee on the Web site and the larger effort.

“In this time of economic distress, Americans need to realize Dr. King’s dream of a better America. Service is a solution to some of our toughest challenges, and service is needed now more than ever,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation.

“We are pleased to be working with the Presidential Inaugural Committee on this historic call to service. As Americans make their New Year’s resolutions, we hope volunteering will be at the top of the list, starting on the King Holiday and lasting throughout the year.”

The Corporation has enlisted entertainment, business, nonprofit, and sports leaders to serve as Ambassadors of Service including songstress Jordin Sparks, Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy, and singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith.

Congress passed legislation in 1994 encouraging Americans to serve their community on the King Holiday, and volunteer participation has risen steadily since then. Thousands of projects are planned for 2009 in Memphis and around the nation.

Volunteer Memphis/Hands On Memphis will host the 9th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Summit on Service, a series of events taking place from Friday, Jan. 16 - 19. Organizers are expecting to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s 80th birthday locally with a service project in the community.

Among the places and events to serve:

•King Day of Service at the National Civil Rights Museum

•The Children’s Museum of Memphis  

•Memphis Botanic Gardens: Plant Sale Prep

•St. Peter Manor: Revitalization and Clean-up

•MIFA: Meals on Wheels and Wheelchair Ramp

•Clean Memphis: Frayser Neighborhood Clean-up

•Shelby Farms Park Beautification Project

For information, contact Yvonne Adams at 901-523-2425 extension 217 or yadams@volunteermemphis.org. Register online at www.handsonmemphis.org.

Other outreach activities to promote service on the King Holiday and beyond include:

The Corporation for National and Community Service has launched a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Fan page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Day-of-Service/37932151852) on Facebook and is working with Facebook and Facebook Causes to encourage users of the highly popular social networking site to volunteer or organize their own service projects to mark the King Holiday and Inauguration weekend.

The King Day of Service Web site at www.MLKDAY.gov has tools for planning and promoting projects, including new “do it yourself” action guides (http://www.mlkmobilization.org/america_serves).

National nonprofit partners for the 2009 King Day of Service include the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, American Red Cross, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, America’s Promise, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Breakthrough Collaborative, City Year, Do Something, First Book, Habitat for Humanity International, HOPE worldwide, The King Memorial Foundation, MENTOR, National Marrow Donor Program, ServiceNation, Student Conservation Association, United Way of America, VolunteerMatch, and YouthBuild USA. Corporate partners include Cargill, Clear Channel, Comcast, Shell Oil Company, Target, and UPS.