Please join us January 16, 2012 for our annual MLK Day of Service event!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. devoted his life to advancing equality, social justice, and opportunity for  all. He challenged us to build a more perfect union and taught us that everyone has a role to play in  making America what it ought to be. With his leadership, our nation made great strides against racial  discrimination and toward increased civil rights.

More than 40 years after his death, Dr. King’s examples can continue to guide us in addressing our nation’s most critical issues today. Each of us can contribute to strengthening our own communities by  serving in Dr. King’s honor on the King Holiday and throughout the year. And, by making service part of our daily lives, we can help realize Dr. King’s dream. Together, we can ensure that more young people graduate from high school; that Americans of all ages have healthier futures; consume less energy; support our military families and veterans; and that we increase employment, financial stability, and affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families.

After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 creating a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The federal holiday was first observed in 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service(CNCS) with leading this effort. Taking place each third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, addresses social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.