Honor this MLK Day of Service through Action

Each year on the third Monday in January, we mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., our nation’s most influential civil rights leader. By the time of his assassination in 1968, Dr. King had traveled more than six million miles and spoken over 2,500 times to advocate for racial justice.

Dr. King was a staunch supporter of the idea that everyone had the power to contribute. “Everybody can be great,” he said, “because everybody can serve.” That is why, in his honor, the federal government also recognizes the day as the only national “day of service,” during which all Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities.

So, how do you make an impact during the middle of a COVID surge? The young leaders at Public Allies Central Florida, a program of Embrace Families, have compiled a list of ideas to get you started:

In-Person Opportunities

• Help to clean up Lake Fran and surrounding trails that lead to Carver Shores Neighborhood: City of Orlando
• Participate in one of Heart of Florida United Way’s many Week of Action events: 2022 Week of Action
• Sign up for a shift at Second Harvest Food Bank to help in their warehouse: SHFB Volunteer Hub

Virtual Opportunities

• Girls Love Mail collects hand-written letters and sends to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Submit emailed letters that are printed by organization and distributed to elderly folks living in homes: LETTER TO ELDERLY | Mysite (wixsite.com)
• Write letters to inmates and show them that they are not alone: Everything you need to know about writing letters to inmates
• Send encouraging messages to teens in residential facilities: IMPOWER Orlando
• Make Smithsonian collections more accessible by transcribing historical documents and records: Smithsonian Transcription
• Assist blind/low-vision individuals with daily tasks via your smartphone using the By My Eyes app: Be My Eyes
• Send support and positive thoughts to seniors in Osceola County: Osceola County on Aging
• Create handmade blankets, quilted, knit, crochet, or fleece (one layer please): Create a blanket for a child: Project Linus
• Write letters to individuals with long-term illness, a rare disease, a disability, who are undiagnosed or who are carriers: Send greetings to illness warriors!
• Collect cigarette butts, help clean up the environment: GTFO: Get the filter out
• Add to current research projects, ongoing projects include 1) burial record transcription, 2) counting and tracking penguin populations etc. various research areas to explore: Projects – Zooniverse
• Assist with identifying facial recognition camera locations: Amnesty Decoders
• Create uplifting cards for children who are sick or injured: Cards for a Cause
• Rate accessibility of public spaces via an app to create a mobile guide for people with limited mobility: Guiaderodas
• Create cards or face masks for children in need, or read a story via a virtual library: Children’s Home Society

For more information about the MLK Day of Service, visit https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve-your-community/mlk-day-service.