As MLK Day approaches on Monday, January 19th, individuals and companies across the country are thinking about how they can honor Dr. King by serving others.
The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President's national call to service initiative. This effort, which is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, sprouted from the belief that ordinary people can come together and achieve extraordinary things when given the proper tools.
Here is what all of us accomplished last year on MLK Day:
With this inspiration in mind, United We Serve has made it easy to engage in MLK Day by providing specific suggestions and starter kits. Here are some philanthropy ideas to trigger your action plan for MLK Day 2015:
Toolkits
United We Serve offers something for everyone with toolkits that lay out clear plans of action for volunteering.
Disaster Services
**Train Neighbors to Prepare for Disasters
**Toolkit: Preparing Your Community for Disasters
Economic Opportunity
**Acquire and Teach Financial Literacy
**National Point in Time Count of People Experiencing Homelessness
**Promote Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
**Toolkit: Support Local Food Banks | en Espanol
**Toolkit: Organize a Clothing Drive | en Español
Education
**Becoming a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Mentor
**Organize a Book and School Supply Drive
**Organize a FAFSA Training Event
**Toolkit: Read with Children
**Toolkit: Organize a Book Drive | en Español
**Toolkit: Becoming a Stem Mentor
Environmental Stewardship
**Plant Trees in Your Neighborhood
**Toolkit: Audit Your Home | en Español
**Toolkit: Maintain Public Lands | en Español
**Toolkit: Let's Glean! (USDA)
Healthy Futures
**Create or Expand a Community Garden
**Educate Your Community About the New Healthcare Law
**Help Kids Make Healthy Food Choices with ChooseMyPlate
**Locate Community Health Centers and Sign-Up for CHIP
**Organize a Fitness Event
**Teach Healthy Cooking and Eating on a Budget
**Toolkit: Support Community Gardens | en Español
**Toolkit: Starting a Walking Team | en Español
**Toolkit: Promote Back to School Health | en Español
Veterans and Military Families
**Hold a Faith and Community Roundtable in Support of Veterans
**Host a Stand Down event for Homeless Veterans
**Toolkit: Community Blueprint Toolbox – A framework for producing positive, measurable outcomes for veterans, military members and their families (Points of Light)\
**Toolkit: Connecting Veterans to Community Services
Strategic Partner Toolkits
**New York Council for the Humanities MLK Community Conversations
**AARP Create the Good Toolkits
**HandsOn Network Toolkits
**Youth Service America Toolkits and Resources
Volunteer
Find local volunteering opportunities at www.nationalservice.gov, or - if offered by your company - through your corporate volunteer platform. United We Serve also makes it easy to register your own MLK Day of Service project so that volunteers can find you.
Learn
Find free lesson plans that teach Dr. King’s legacy of service for grades K-8.
Impact
United We Serve encourages everyone to share their plans for MLK Day and share their project’s impact after this day of service. You can share your story on Serve.gov, on their Facebook page, or by sending an email to MLKDay@cns.gov.
The best way to honor Dr. King is to make a commitment of service not just on this one day but throughout the year. Take the MLK Day Challenge by filling out this form to pledge service to your community - and the country.
Also read:
Employee Engagement Definition: Anyone Got a Clue?
New E-book Says Best Corporate Volunteerism is Skills-Based
What Businesses Should Get From Community Relations