MLK Day offers many opportunities to serve
Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, is the 19th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.
It is a day to remember the slain civil rights activist and humanitarian and to celebrate the things for which he stood. It is a day to once again demand payment on that check he talked about, the note that represented a “promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
While civil rights are the law of the land, the law does not necessarily govern the hearts of the land’s citizens. And it is in their hearts, our hearts, that the guarantee must be honored.
It is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service and calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to solve our most pressing national problems, notes the Corporation for National & Community Service website.
It is a day that “empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a ‘beloved community.’” It is considered “a day on, not a day off.” There are ample opportunities to participate, ways for the haves to help the have-nots. And they need not be confined to one day a year.
A number of local school districts, churches and nonprofits have scheduled activities for those interested in volunteering either on Jan. 16, when schools will be in session, or on the 21st, when schools are closed. Those interested in volunteering should check with their community schools and other organizations to see where they can help.
An alternative is the 18th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service in which volunteers from the tri-state area will work together on projects. Last year, more than 100,000 volunteers throughout the region served in 1,500 projects in the region. For information and to volunteer, go to www.mlkdayofservice.org.
The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
The rewards are beyond your wildest dreams. They include both satisfaction and the hunger to do and give more. The happiness shining from someone else’s face, whom you’ve helped. The knowledge that someone is better off because you did something. That the world is a little better, that our souls are a little richer.
Let us be judged, as Dr. King said, by the content of our character. Let our character be filled with good deeds.