On Monday, January 17, 2022, we’ll have the federal observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in honor of Dr. King’s birthday, which is January 15. The day is billed as one of service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.
A Baptist minister and social activist, Dr. King led the U.S. civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his death on April 4, 1968.
If you’re looking for safe ways to serve during the pandemic, here are a few ideas:
- Create hygiene kits for the homeless, and take them to a local homeless shelter.
- Collect unused makeup and fill makeup bags and deliver them to a center for abused women.
- Volunteer to read to students via Zoom.
- Help an elderly person in your neighborhood by running errands.
- Collect books and magazines and deliver them to a shelter or prison.
- Contact a nursing home to read to senior citizens via Zoom.
- Volunteer to walk a neighbor’s dog.
- Collect gently used toys and kids clothing and donate them to a preschool, day care, children’s hospital or shelter.
- Help someone learn to read by volunteering. Forty-fifth Street has wonderful opportunities through our STAIR program.
- Donate to a food pantry.
What are some ways you can be of service in honor of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
For further study: In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:35, NIV).