Montgomery County Hosts Day Of Service Celebrating Martin Luther King

From Montgomery County: On January 16, in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Montgomery County will host Day of Service activities at several sites throughout the County. This annual event, organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and partner agencies, will feature a wide variety of coordinated family friendly service projects at locations across the County, providing residents of all ages with simple ways to help our community.

Some of the projects available include packaging food for the hungry; making dog toys for the animal shelter; creating blankets for hospices; and crafting appreciation cards for military troops. Locations, times and registration information can be found at www.montgomeryserves.org.

“In November, one thousand County residents braved cold weather at a rally in Silver Spring to Stand Up for the Montgomery Way and reaffirm the values of diversity, inclusion, and respect for all that have made Montgomery County special,” said County Executive Ike Leggett. “It is not enough to vote. It is not enough to attend a rally. The best way to stand up for the Montgomery way is to roll up our sleeves and help our neighbors in need. Service is the way we can move closer to Dr. King’s ideal of the Beloved Community.”

Montgomery County Volunteer Center will coordinate indoor, family friendly service projects from 1 to 3 p.m. on the 16th at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Rd Additional coordinated sites are in Silver Spring and Gaithersburg and other project locations across the county.
Ways to get active –

• Individuals and groups can get together and plan a collection drive. (Visit montgomeryserves.org and use the keyword “collection” in the search box and see options to plan a drive for winter clothing, sports equipment, food and more.)
• School and neighborhood groups can organize a park cleanup. Montgomery Parks will have projects planned for MLK Day, parksvolunteers.org or you can plan for other dates.
• Businesses looking for ways to make a difference in the community can join the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County.
• Faith congregations could plan a community gathering with an interfaith dialog and sign up to receive the enews from the Faith Community Advisory Council.

To further the aim of creating Dr. King’s ideal of the Beloved Community by encouraging others to get involved, the Volunteer Center urges you to share details about your MLK Day events and your pledges to serve. Use #MLKMontCo on social media and online postings to keep the community up to date about the many local activities and volunteer opportunities focused on service and inspiring us in the spirit of inclusiveness.

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