Take Action on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

As many communities continue to social distance, we at Points of Light encourage people to view this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a day of service to the worldwide beloved community. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often used the term, “the Beloved Community,” a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth.

While volunteer and service activities may look different this year, there are many ways for everyone to impact the people, communities and environment around us. Civic engagement can come in so many forms; here are a few ideas and stories to get you inspired.

Find a Volunteer Opportunity Near You. On MLK Day, millions of Americans honor Dr. King’s legacy by coming together for a national day of service and dialogue. Make it a day on, not a day off. Find an MLK Day opportunity near you. You can also find a Points of Light Global Network affiliate near you; many are hosting virtual volunteer opportunities that benefit the local community!

Volunteer Virtually. Many of us are used to being in the community and in person for hands on volunteering projects on MLK Day. Our Virtual Volunteering Toolkit, sponsored by KPMG, can help you plan an impactful day while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Donate. Is there a group or nonprofit that is doing great work and you want to support them? Consider collecting funds on their behalf and donating it to them so they can continue their efforts. One of our Points of Light Youth Council members, Sanya Pirani, set a goal to raise $10,000 for her local food bank and met the goal!

Purchase Power. You can also use funds to purchase items for those in need. It’s always best to research and speak to others to understand what they truly need, just like Avi Gupta did when he started Project 32, an initiative that helps purchase dental hygiene supplies for those in need. Learn more about using your purchase power in our most recent issue of Civic Life Today.

Listen and Learn. Points of Light’s new initiative, Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism focuses on having brave conversations and providing tools for everyone to take action to end systemic racism. Martin Luther King Jr. lead this work during his life, and we continue to move this work forward. Listen to one of our past conversations.

Use Your Voice. When schools and activities began to shutter due to COVID-19, Adom Appiah, Points of Light Youth Council Member, Daily Point of Light Award honoree and founder of Ball 4 Good realized his organizations model of raising funds through sports would no longer work. He decided to use his social media pages to focus on his passion for music and launched Music4Good. Music4Good are 2-hour DJ sets where he spins music to bring attention to the needs of children impacted by COVID-19. So far, he’s raised almost $14,000 for organizations supporting communities impacted by COVID-19.