FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan 13, 2012


Washington, DC -- On the MLK Day of Service and throughout the year, Americans are using the power of service to help families across the country. Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the organizations and volunteers it supports are helping families find permanent housing, providing financial education and job readiness supports, and mentoring students so they can succeed in school and life.

Along with putting individuals and families on the pathway to economic opportunity, national service connects volunteers of all ages with hands-on opportunities to supplement their skills and gain entryway to the workforce.

“The drive of the nation to assist their neighbors through service is remarkable,” said Robert Velasco II, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “At a time of growing need, service and volunteering create opportunities for Americans to strengthen their own and each other’s economic security.”

With MLK Day just days away, there are thousands of great projects spread across all 50 states to get involved in. Below are some of the projects taking place. To find a project in your neighborhood, on MLK Day and throughout the year, visit Serve.gov and enter your zip code.

Economic Opportunity

  • Wright State University is collaborating with Sinclair Community College, the University of Dayton and other community leaders and organizations to offer Miami Valley citizens assistance with job searching and resume writing.
  • In Houston, the MLK Parade Foundation will host an MLK Day of Service job and health fair at Root Memorial Square Park.
  • AmeriCorps VISTAs will participate in the Heart of Florida United Way tax credit awareness event, assisting with the distribution of 3,000 door hangers about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Disaster Services

  • Students at the University of Alabama will help with disaster relief efforts and assist victims of the April tornado with debris removal.
  • Students from Missouri Southern State University will spend one day in Joplin, Missouri volunteering through AmeriCorps relief efforts to help address the need in Joplin.

Education

  • Through LA Works, more than 1,000 community and corporate volunteers will revitalize the campus of a Title I elementary school in the neighborhood of Los Feliz to help commemorate MLK Jr. Day in Los Angeles.
  • School children in La Quinta, California will be raising money together through by selling lemonade and cookies for the community to give back to our local public elementary schools.
  • Through Oregon Campus Compact, more than 1,200 college students will serve in projects locally at Roosevelt High School focusing on the theme of education as a civil right.

Environmental Stewardship

  • In Atlanta, volunteers will be mulching, clearing overgrowth, picking up trash, and raking leaves at Fort Walker in Grant Park and additional areas in Grant Park through HandsOn Atlanta.
  • Friends of Brooklyn Cemetery volunteers will clean and beautify Brooklyn Cemetery by removing debris, raking, mulching, and filling in gravesites.

 

Healthy Futures

  • AmeriCorps Delaware, VolunteerDelaware.org and the Blood Bank of Delmarva are collaborating on the first statewide hero blood drive beginning Jan. 9 and ending on the MLK Day.
  • Burlington Coat Factory is giving away approximately 5,000 coats to people in need in 15 different markets across the country.
  • Volunteers at Florida International University will create a Community Garden in Goulds Park to increase food security by empowering the community to grow their own food and eat healthier.

Veterans and Military Families

  • Serve Idaho is saluting local National Guard and Reserve soldiers and their families by supporting Hero Packs, a project initiated by Idaho's Operation: Military Kids.
  • YMCA READS! will prepare 8 kits for deployed troops and their families. These will contain video cameras, tripods, blank DVDs, children's books, cards and letters of support from volunteers.

More information, including details about local service opportunities, is available at MLKDay.gov.

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AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.