Contact:
Fred Whiting
Points of Light Foundation
(202) 729-8177
fwhiting@pointsoflight.org
Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday Offers Opportunity for Service
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 10, 2007)—The 21st anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday on January 15, 2007, offers Americans across the country the opportunity to participate in a national day of service, according to Robert Goodwin, President & CEO the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C.
“On January 15, Americans across the country will celebrate Dr. King's life and work,” says Goodwin. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans will remember and memorialize Dr. King by participating in service projects in their communities. Together, they will honor Dr. King's legacy of tolerance, peace and equality by meeting community needs and making the holiday a day on, not a day off.”
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service instead of a day off from work or school. Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action.
“The King Day of Service brings together people who might not ordinarily meet; it breaks down barriers that have divided us in the past; it leads to better understanding and ongoing relationships; and it is an opportunity to recruit new volunteers for our ongoing efforts to address social problems,” Goodwin adds.
Participation in the King Day of Service has grown steadily over the past decade, with hundreds of thousands of Americans each year engaging in projects such as tutoring and mentoring children, painting schools and senior centers, delivering meals, building homes and reflecting on Dr. King's life and teachings. Many of the projects started on King Day continue to engage volunteers beyond the holiday and make an impact on the community throughout the year.
To find out how you can participate in the King Day of Service, call 1-800-VOLUNTEER or go to www.mlkday.gov.
The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities. Through a variety of programs and services, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life — businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth, and older adults — to volunteer.
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