Weekend: Where to Volunteer for MLK Days of Service

This year the Volunteer New York! community wide ‘day of service’ will take place from Saturday, Jan. 16 - Sunday, Jan. 17, though there are a few things on Friday.

Many projects have already filled to capacity. If you would like to be put on a waitlist for a closed project, please call 914-227-9317.

The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

Family-Friendly Opportunities in Westchester and Rockland counties are available to familes who wish to volunteer together during Days of Service. This is an easy way to volunteer as a family/group and impart lessons about the importance of giving back and volunteering at an early age. The minimum age for youth who volunteer with their family or guardian typically may range from 4 -16.

Don’t have a lot of time but want to make an effort to help others? Try donating to your local food pantry.

Here are two Friday opportunities still open. The open weekend projects are listed below.

Winter Food Drive & Delivery
with Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry
in Tarrytown/Westchester from Monday, January 11th - Friday the 15th
Drop off times are from 9am - 3pm each day
Family-Friendly for ages 4+

Still feeling stuffed for the holidays? The food pantries are feeling empty. Help re-stock the shelves. Hold a food drive in your neighborhood, school, office, or place of worship during the week of January 11th-15th.

Prep & Organize Food Pantry
with Community Service Associates
in Mt. Vernon on Friday, January, 15th
from 1 - 3pm | Family-Friendly for ages 14+

Volunteers are needed to help support and brighten up the food pantry at Community Service Associates, which serves food to Mt. Vernon residents in-need.

The minimum age to volunteer without a parent or guardian varies by opportunity.

About The National Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
This year the Volunteer New York! community wide day of service will take place from Saturday, January 16th - Sunday, January 17th.
The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community.

Family-Friendly Opportunities are available to familes who wish to volunteer together during Days of Service. This is an easy way to volunteer as a family/group and impart lessons about the importance of giving back and volunteering at an early age. The minimum age for youth who volunteer with their family or guardian typically may range from 4 -16.

The minimum age to volunteer without a parent or guardian varies by opportunity.

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” Find your greatness this MLK Day.

2-1-1 Disaster Volunteer Preparedness
with United Way of Westchester and Putnam
in White Plains on Saturday, January 16th
from 9:30 - 11:30am | Minimum age: 18+

Become a trained 2-1-1 disaster helpline operator. Give back to your community when most needed by helping your neighbors after a disaster strikes, find the resources they need to rise up from tragedy.

Painting at New Rochelle Public Library
with New Rochelle Public Library
in New Rochelle on Saturday, January 16th
from 9am - 2pm | Family-Friendly for ages 15+

Help refresh and support the education & literacy efforts of the New Rochelle Public Library.

College Application Assistance for Latino Community
with Latino U College Access, Inc.
in White Plains on Sunday, January 17th
from 12 - 2pm [sign up]
from 3 - 5pm [sign up]

By giving a few hours of your day, you can impact the next four years! How? Help a first generation college bound student complete their FAFSA forms and make their family proud! Minimum age to volunteer is 21.

Science Barge Beautification
with Groundwork Hudson Valley
in Yonkers on Saturday, January 16th
from 10:30am - 3pm | Family-Friendly for ages 9+

A floating farm, off the grid, fully self-sustainable . . . but not self-cleaning. Pitch in and clean the barge and ready it for next year’s programs for the community.

Learn Hands-Only CPR and Save a Life!

with Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc.
in Spring Valley on Saturday, January 16th
from 10am - 12pm | Family-Friendly for ages 14+

Learn how to be a life saver with hands only CPR training. Training that will last a lifetime.

MLK Tribute & Social Time
with Residents of Schaffer Extended Care Ctr.
with One Change at a Time
in New Rochelle on Saturday, January 16th
from 2pm - 4pm | Family-Friendly for ages 5+

Bring some joy to the residents by spending time with them. Play games, listen to a reciting of the MLK “I have a dream” speech and learn from those who have experienced the world through a whole different lens.

Social Time with Seniors
with Somers Manor Nursing Home
in Somers on Saturday, January 16th
from 2pm - 4pm | Family-Friendly for ages 5+

The hottest new game is JINGO and the residents love to play it. (Not Bingo . . . it’s really called JINGO). Spend a few hours with some seniors who will appreciate your time and smile.

What is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service?

After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

Learn About Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era and a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in this nation and around the world.Following in the footsteps of his father, in February 1948, at the age of 19, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. entered the Christian ministry and was ordained at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In 1954, upon completion of graduate studies at Boston University, he accepted a call to serve at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. While there, he was an instrumental leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, made famous by the nonviolent resistance and arrest of Rosa Parks. Dr. King was arrested 30 times for his participation in civil rights activities.
While Dr. King preached about justice, empowerment, love and peace, in the final months of his life, his attention was turned to fighting poverty. Sadly, more Americans live in poverty today than during Dr. King’s lifetime. Forty-seven million Americans currently fall below the poverty line.