The civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great because everyone can serve.” 

Many families and organizations come together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day) to practice service to others. Although there might not be as many community-wide activities available to gather together and serve this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to lend a helping hand to others! AmeriCorps has some great service ideas that children and families can do together, including:

• Make cards for nursing home residents.
• Have a book drive for local hospitals and shelters.
• Color lunch bags that can be used to package snacks, treats and lunches for food pantries and schools that provide meals and snacks for others.
• Make fleece blankets for children in the hospital or for shelters.
• Shovel snow for your neighbors.
• Collect school supplies for a local shelter or library.
• Walk or groom animals at a local animal shelter.
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food pantry.

For even more service ideas, as well as other resources related to MLK Day, check out this resource page.