MLK Day Service Projects: How To Help In DC

WASHINGTON, DC — Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been designated by groups and organizations nationwide as “a day on” since the third Monday of January was designated a national holiday in memory of the late civil rights icon. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, there are ways to make a positive difference in D.C. on the Jan. 18 holiday this year.

Organized service projects have taken the place of the traditional work or school holiday in recent years. But in 2021, restrictions in place to slow the further spread of the coronavirus are impacting the ability to perform some good deeds.

The following volunteer opportunities are available in D.C. during the MLK weekend:

• National Equity in Service Workshop: Saturday, Jan. 16, 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 17, 3 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. During this virtual workshop on Equity in Service, participants learn skills to build respectful service relationships with organizations in the community.
• Donation Drive for "Period Products": 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Host anywhere in Washington, D.C. Collect donations of "period products" for the D.C. Diaper Bank.
• Friendship Place Food Pantry Drive: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Signup to support Friendship Place and the 3,400 it serves by collecting food.
• George Washington University Day of Service Winter Care Package Drive for D.C. Public Schools: Monday, Jan., 18, 12 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Due to COVID-19, this year's MLK Day of Service and Leadership will be conducted virtually. The community can support DCPS families by visiting the Winter Care Package Wishlist and donating warm winter clothing and hygiene products.
• MLK Memorial March for a basic income: Monday, Jan. 18, from 2-3 p.m. Attendees are invited to meet at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro to march to the MLK Memorial at 2 :15 p.m. Due to the inauguration security, Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian Metro Stations will be closed.
• American Red Cross - Donate Blood: Daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.. Visit the American Red Cross website to find a blood drive near you.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, communities across the country held large events in various locations promoting service on the holiday.

Those have included Highland Park, Illinois, where the local human relations advisory group usually draws about 1,200 people every year to a service program that has turned into one of the city’s signature yearly events.

This year, the city will hold a virtual program to “honor the legacy of Dr. King's fight against inequity and his work to secure a just future for all,” Amanda Civitello, communications manager for the city of Highland Park, said in a news release.

Even if there aren’t any organized service projects planned nearby, there are several other ways to help those in need in or near D.c..

Donating to nonprofit organizations, volunteering with food banks and pantries, and delivering meals and groceries to seniors are a few suggestions outlined by the national volunteer program AmeriCorps.

A list of organizations supporting COVID-19 response efforts had been made available by the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.