King Day of Service: January 17, 2011
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that life's most persistent question is "What are you doing for others?" And during the course of his life, he modeled the answer to this question by serving tirelessly. Between 1957 and 1968, Dr. King traveled over six million miles, spoke more than 2,500 times, and wrote five books and numerous articles. In 1963, as a champion for civil rights, he was a key participant in the peaceful march of 250,000 people on the mall in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" address.
The King Day of Service, taking place each year on the third Monday in January, is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service. Service is a significant way to honor Dr. King because it benefits your community, helps your organization recruit new volunteers and partners, and brings together diverse types of people. This January, join citizens across the nation in honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and furthering his ideals of equality, freedom, and social justice with a special community service event.
Video: King Day of Service: Realizing the Dream
A variety of King Day resources for individuals and organizations are available at MLKDay.gov. These include resources to help you:
Plan & Prepare
- Project planning toolkit gives background on the holiday, project ideas, and sample projects and schedules
- Action guides provide step-by-step instructions to plan projects that address some of the most critical issues facing our communities
- Tips & tools to get you started if you need help planning a project not in the action guides
- Partnership outreach materials
Promote & Publicize
- Register your project to help people find your volunteer opportunities
- Order the free King Day of Service Resources DVD, which includes the “2009 King Day of Service: Realizing the Dream” video and others
- Marketing materials including logos, posters, fact sheets, t-shirts, web banners, and a photo library
- Media outreach tips & materials
- Social networking tools
Serve & Share Your Story
- Find a volunteer opportunity based on your interests and location
- Share your plans then come back after MLK Day to share your project’s impact
Whatever event you choose, help your participants have a meaningful service experience and better understand the importance of the life and teachings of Dr. King by making reflection part of your project. More about reflection.
MORE RESOURCES
Effective Practices
- Planning a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service
- Offering educational activities for children on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
- Involving children of prisoners in a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day event
Bibliographic Records
- Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream
- King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
- Our Friend, Martin: An Adventure Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Service Learning Curriculum: A Guidebook for Schools, Organizations, & Parents
- King Holiday Student Organizing Manual: A Handbook for College and University Students Organizing Community Service Activities for the MLK Federal Holiday
