Join the 2022 Lexington MLK Day of Service and Help Those In Need

It would be an understatement to say that our lives have been challenged in the last twenty-two months due to the pandemic. Stress, loss and grief with some having suffered illness, loneliness, anxiety, and depression while others are overwhelmed by increased family responsibilities, remote schooling, and changes in our work life.

So, in the spirit of unity, volunteerism and service to others working their way through these unprecedented times, we invite you to join The Town of Lexington’s MLK Day of Service held on Monday, January 17, 2022.

This year, we will host a mostly remote Day of Service. The majority of our events and volunteer activities will take place live on Zoom so that you can participate safely in your home. Registration will be required so that we may send you the Zoom links. All in-person activities will require social distancing and the following of masking guidelines.

To sign up and volunteer, visit lexingtonmlk.org. Below is a review of what we have in store for you online & in-person events plus volunteer activities!!

MLK Day Online Events

• 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. MLK Day 2022 Online Opening Ceremony. "Perspectives on African-American Bostonian History and Education"- Brief and uplifting performances by Nationally acclaimed poet, songwriter, author, educator and Lexington resident Regie Gibson performing his work, Lexington Middle School essayists on MLK and the Special Needs Arts Program (SNAP) Sing Along Chorus. Register here!!
• 10 a.m. - 12.p.m Online Annual Community Conversation on Race. The Lexington Human Rights Committee presents “The Purpose of Education—Honoring Dr King’s Legacy with Racially Inclusive Curriculum”. This year, we revisit Dr King’s seminal work The Purpose of Education through a 21st century lens. We will discuss racial injustices that persist in school curricula which contribute to the disparities seen in today’s education system. As a community, we hope to create tangible and actionable anti-racist steps towards a more complete and humane education system to honor of Dr. King’s vision. Register here!!
• 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. 2022 Stories of MLK from the Boston University Archives. Join a virtual (online) interactive conversation that includes a short presentation by Mr. Ryan Hendrikson, Assistant Director of Manuscripts, who will introduce the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through materials from the Boston University archives. Teens joining the activity will earn Community Service credit. All welcome! Register here!!
• 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Online Dismantling Racism. Many of us want to be antiracist. Oftentimes, antiracism is conceived in ways that are unintentionally excluding of many. We need to ask ourselves when we work toward racial justice, who all are we including? Join us! Register here!!

MLK Day In-Person Event

• 1:00p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Unity Walk. In-person Unity Walk from the Minuteman Statue at the Lexington Battle Green to Cary Memorial Hall.

MLK Day In-Person Volunteer Activities

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Charitable Donation Drop-offs, at Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Road, Lexington. Donate non-perishable food items for the Lexington Food Pantry; new toys for girls ages 6-12 for Birthday Wishes; books, DVDs, CDs, video games and other media for More Than Words; gently-worn kids clothing (winter layers for kids preferred), well-preserved used toys for Cradles to Crayons, donate gift cards and new winter gear (sleeping bags, blankets, socks, jackets), and public transport Charlie Cards (to help youth get services) for homeless LGBTQ+ youth at Youth On Fire and Boston GLASS.

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Food sorting, packaging and composting for children, youth and families at risk at Food Link, 108 Summer St, Arlington, MA. Join volunteers in sorting and packaging food from waste streams like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Wegmans and others to be delivered to over 30 non-profit organizations in Arlington, Lexington, Boston and Lawrence. Food Link was just awarded the EPA’s Environmental Merit Award in New England. Sign up to volunteer!!

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Teens for In-Home Help for Seniors. Help seniors with small, indoor or outdoor jobs and around their homes like changing hard to reach light bulbs or batteries in smoke detector, raking leaves, clearing snow from walkways, refilling bird feeders, picking up boxed donations to drop off at Goodwill, donating food items to the Food Pantry and more. Sign up to volunteer!!

MLK Day Online Volunteer Activities

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Free Minds Poetry connects incarcerated writers to the community. Join Repair the World and fellow volunteers online via Zoom to learn about incarceration, while reading and responding directly to writings by currently incarcerated individuals. Help these people to feel heard and build connection to community. Adult and mature teen volunteers who have a computer and an internet connection are invited to join this interactive discussion to improve education for those incarcerated today. Sign up to volunteer!!

2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Youth and Family Charitable Online Activity. Join a youth-focused discussion and charitable activity in support of Catie's Closet, a local organization dedicated to improving student's school attendance, emotional well-being, grade progression, and ultimately, graduation rates by providing in-school access to clothing and basic necessities to students who are homeless, living in poverty or low income. Sign up to volunteer!! Read more about the organization: www.catiescloset.org.

All-Day, At-Home Card Making plus Optional Online Card-Making gathering. Hand craft greeting cards for active overseas military, hospitalized Veterans living at the Bedford VA, and first responder medical workers of the Greater Lawrence Community Health Centers. Note: Blank cards can be picked up, made at home, and dropped off at Grace Chapel. For those who sign up, a Zoom card-making party is planned on MLK Day to gather virtually and make cards together. Blank cards will be delivered to your home if 1) you live in Lexington and 2) you sign-up by January 15, 2022. Please click here for Important dates and card making instructions. Register here!!