Americans Respond to King's Call to Service
Annual Holiday Becomes "A Day ON, Not a Day Off";
Thousands Expected to Turn Out For Service Projects
Tens of thousands of Americans across the country, included three NFL coaches, will serve on the Martin Luther King Day of Service, making January 21 "A Day ON, Not a Day Off."
Among the projects being undertaken in honor of King's memory is one sponsored by AmeriCorps: the rejuvenation of Langston Terrace, one of Washington, D.C.'s most historic dwellings. The volunteers who will be painting, landscaping, and cleaning include Herm Edwards, head coach of the New York Jets, Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Dennis Green, former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. The three coaches recorded a national television and radio PSA encouraging viewers and listeners to serve on the King Holiday.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps and other service programs, sponsors the annual service effort along with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., Best Buy, Inc., the Minnesota-based electronics retailer, donated $200,000 to fund numerous projects. The effort strives to include people of all ages and backgrounds, in keeping with King's words, "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." Service projects involve everything from stocking food pantries to planting community gardens to training tutors for inner-city schools. This year's projects include:
- In Philadelphia, 30,000 volunteers, a national record, are expected to participate in the 7th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. Mayor John F. Street will join more than 600 volunteers renovating Dobbins/Randolph Vocational-Technical High School, the largest of 500 service projects organized throughout the Philadelphia region.
- In New York City, hundreds of volunteers will be sorting 52,000 pairs of shoes donated to Dress for Success, an organization that provides business attire to women entering the workforce following homelessness or welfare dependency. The shoes were donated by Nine West.
- Children in Portland, Ore., will receive safety training to use as babysitters or when they are home alone, through a joint partnership of AmeriCorps, Best Buy, and the American Red Cross.
To find projects in your area, call the number above or visit www.mlkday.org.
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