MLK Day Service Projects: How To Help In Mooresville

MOORESVILLE, NC — Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been designated by groups and organizations nationwide as “a day on” since the third Monday of January was designated a national holiday in memory of the late civil rights icon. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, there are ways to make a positive difference in Mooresville on the Jan. 18 holiday this year.

Organized service projects have taken the place of the traditional work or school holiday in recent years. But in 2021, restrictions in place to slow the further spread of the coronavirus are impacting the ability to perform some good deeds.

The Town of Mooresville is sponsoring a Random Acts of Kindness Challenge Jan. 15 - Jan. 18. "Use #MLKmooresville2021 and tag us in your videos, selfies, and post throughout the weekend to share your random acts of kindness," the town said.

Other events in the region include:

• YMCA of Greater Charlotte's virtual MLK Holiday Celebration. Monday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m. Say organizers, "Join us on Monday, January 18th, 2021 at 9:00AM on the YMCA of Greater Charlotte Facebook page for a very special virtual event as we commemorate and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2021 MLK Holiday Celebration will be unlike any other as we pivot to a virtual conversation featuring noted civil rights activist, global humanitarian and political leader Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. He will be joined by local community leaders for an online discussion focused on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
• MLK Family Day Celebration at the Levine Museum of the New South. Monday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. Say organizers: "The virtual celebration includes music, spoken word performances, storytime, visual art reflections, historical insights by Dr. Willie Griffin, and a reflective moment from Bernice A. King about the role of her mother, Coretta Scott King. Also Featuring: Spoken Word by Hannah Hassan and ARTS+/Studio 345 students, Mary D. Williams (gospel singer and historian), Live From The Print Shop featuring music by Destiny Stone, Braxton Winston with the story behind Stevie Wonder’s happy birthday song, and Pastor Kelvin Thompson and the Bal Perazim Ensemble.
• Online MLK Film Series by the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. Friday, Jan. 15 - Sunday, Jan. 17.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, communities across the country held large events in various locations promoting service on the holiday.

Those have included Highland Park, Illinois, where the local human relations advisory group usually draws about 1,200 people every year to a service program that has turned into one of the city’s signature yearly events.

This year, the city will hold a virtual program to “honor the legacy of Dr. King's fight against inequity and his work to secure a just future for all,” Amanda Civitello, communications manager for the city of Highland Park, said in a news release.

Even if there aren’t any organized service projects planned nearby, there are several other ways to help those in need in or near Mooresville.

Donating to nonprofit organizations, volunteering with food banks and pantries, and delivering meals and groceries to seniors are a few suggestions outlined by the national volunteer program AmeriCorps.

A list of organizations supporting COVID-19 response efforts had been made available by the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

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