Empower & Transform Your Community

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Things as basic as clean neighborhood parks, painted homes and tidy lawns can convey the image of a healthy community. On the other hand, broken store windows, trash-littered streets and school buildings in disrepair present negative indications of a community’s health, and demonstrate larger structural problems, such as a lack of funding, public safety or strong community spirit.

A healthy community is filled with people willing to invest their time to create a positive and safe environment, whether that is by coming together to clean up public spaces, or build a playground or paint murals at the neighborhood schools. When people work together to improve their own neighborhoods and serve others, they show that they are invested in their community, and that they are willing to work towards achieving a common goal. 

As a nation, we celebrate that spirit of service on the annual MLK Day of Service, held on the third Monday in January. Created to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and his commitment to service throughout his life, in 1994, Congress designated it as a national day of service.

President Obama has made the day a call to service on which all Americans are asked to observe the day with civic, community and service projects that “strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers and create solutions.” It’s a day for working together and making change.

At United Way NCA, our mission is to solve our region’s greatest challenges. For this year’s MLK Day of Service on January 18, we ask you to join us in doing more for our community. MLK Day of Service is a day for community problem solving. It’s a day when we can move closer to Dr. King’s vision for a socially just society. So, let’s do more to talk, listen and understand one another. Let’s do more to create a just society. Let’s do more together.

There are so many ways you can get involved. Join United Way NCA, our nonprofit partners and thousands of local volunteers in creating local solutions. Click here to find opportunities to serve with United Way NCA and our nonprofit partners.

Want to participate in the national community service conversation? Check out the MLK Day of Service website to see what projects are happening around the country.

Are you leading an MLK Day of Service event? Get promotional materials here.