Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service: Volunteer Project Examples

  

Can you submit projects like sorting clothes, cleaning shelters, serving meals, painting, gardening, etc.?

Yes, volunteers helping with immediate needs is important, and as you can see from examples below, you can add elements to align with the spirit of the day. For example, ensuring your activity includes a forum for conversations and understanding about the underlying issues faced by your community. Or, a painting or gardening project could incorporate a mural or signs with civil rights quotes as well as a discussion of root causes of poverty and hunger. Personal reflection can be an important element of the project as well.

Below are a few projects submitted in previous years:

  • Engage low-income senior residents and youth in an MLK celebration, coming together around food, dance and conversation about the work of Dr. King and nonviolent community action.

  • Take a group of high school students to the Seattle Parks' Teen MLK March so they can learn through experience how to stand up for their rights and the rights of their peers.

  • Provide education & tools to help community members advocate for their own public/civil rights and the rights of others. Create signs displaying social issues/challenges they personally faced or see in their communities. Create an exhibit/mural for your community.

  • Facilitate a connection between community members who are housed and those who are experiencing homelessness by preparing and/or serving a meal. Allow time for everyone to participate in conversing over a meal.

  • Create Welcome Packages for recently arrived students with school supplies. Engage families in reflections on social justice issues like Immigration and Refugee reform.

  • Revitalize a P-Patch or urban farm and discuss with volunteers barriers to people accessing healthy and nutritious food. Expand on how food justice can positively affect low income and marginalized communities.

 

 Other ideas and examples:

Any of these ideas can be combined – e.g. during the week an educational element and/or hands-on activity, and on MLK Day participation in a community event.

  • Economic opportunity projects – e.g. training and resources on debt avoidance, financial aid/saving for college, home buying, tax assistance services, resume review, borrowing and credit score review, outreach on GED programs or financial aid for college.

  • Are you a Free Tax Campaign site or have clients who could benefit? Host a gathering or get the word out to let low- and moderate-income families know about these and other free services.

  • Revitalize MLK Boulevards – or engage the people who live along them- organizations on or near MLK Way S. come together with residents, businesses to learn and discuss issues or identify a need and act on it, or clean and beautify.

  • Engage youth, adults, and/or seniors in learning/sharing about past and present civil rights experiences, and create signs for participation in events like the MLK Day Celebration & March at Garfield, Teach-ins or other MLK Day events.

  • Include a viewing of a civil rights-focused documentary film, facilitate dialogue, etc. in your project.

  • Host peacemaking circles or other gatherings of people across race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, etc. to come together and work through issues or challenges. Ask volunteers their ideas on how to expand visibility of programs like these.

  • Read books to kids, help them create skits about social justice issues, and teach them peacemaking and anti-bullying communication skills – or have them teach each other.