MLK Day of Service

Each year on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Day is designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived his life serving others, and we are called to do the same.  Although many marches and parades will not take place this year due to COVID restrictions and other concerns, you don’t have to participate in a formal event to improve the community where you live.  You can take matters into your own hands.  Literally.

You can take a walk and pick up litter where you find it.  You can be on your own, or with your family pod, or socially distant from friends you might not have seen in a while.  Take a bag with you, and pick up the trash and recyclables that you find along the way.  Bonus points for using a reusable trash bag (find with other camping supplies), or compostable trash bags.

You can commit yourself to the goal of recycling in your household – today!  If you’ve been throwing away cereal boxes, plastic milk bottles, soft drink bottles, pizza boxes, and almost everything that food is packaged in at the grocery store, you’ll be surprised to learn how many fewer bags of trash you have at the end of the week if you sort out the recyclables!

Maybe there’s a neighbor who could use some help getting their old computer to a proper recycling center?  Try Tech for Troops in the Richmond area, Turtle Wings in Northern Virginia, and Goodwill Industries in Roanoke and other parts of the state.

With just a little effort, you can join the millions of Americans who will volunteer their time in honor of MLK Day.  As he so beautifully said, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”  -Martin Luther King, Jr.