Helping Hands, Donations Needed For Flossmoor's MLK Jr. Day Of Service

FLOSSMOOR, IL — Volunteers are needed to help a Flossmoor group complete a dozen different service projects to honor Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

"We are thrilled to feature as many as 12 service projects varying from park and community property clean-ups and community food drives, to making lunches for shelters and donating blood," the Flossmoor Community Relations Commission said. "Help us continue Flossmoor's annual tradition of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a day on, not a day off!"

There are currently 12 registered service projects that are in need of volunteers for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Project sponsors include Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Flossmoor School District 161, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, You Matter 2, Inc. PLAN4SUCCESS, South Suburban Chapter of The Links, Inc., and Chi Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Lambda Tau Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Volunteer directly with the project of your choice!.

A number of service projects will be collecting goods for area shelters and those in need. PLAN4SUCCESS and the South Suburban Chapter of The Links are each hosting a donation drive collecting socks, mittens/gloves and hygiene products to benefit South Suburban PADS and other human services organizations. Donations are currently being accepted at Flossmoor Village Hall through Jan. 16. Additional donation opportunities are available at additional project sites. See project list for more details.

Business owners, non-profit organizations, individuals or groups who want to be part of the day of service can submit a project of their own.

In order for a project to qualify for the Day of Service it must:

• Be conducted on the third Monday in January
• Collections (food, socks, other items) can be conducted up to the third Monday in January; with the hope that a delivery will occur during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
• The project does not generate any current or future sales or revenue for the hosting agency (i.e., books sales, thrift sales)
• Projects should be local to the communities in which we live and serve
• There must be a volunteer present on the day of the event to host the project