Obama wants you to make MLK Day more than a day off from school
I'm completely enamored with the Obamas and basically they could say "cut off your toe" and I'd say "which one?" So, it's no surprise that I'm pretty psyched with President-elect Obama's Call to Service event happening on Monday, January 19th in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday.
This idea of serving the community on MLK Day isn't a new one yet I sense because the Obamas are asking many more will step-up. According to the MLK Day site "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...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 impact the community year-round."
If you're looking for a way to get out in the community Monday and help check out the USA Service site. Once there you can register for updates, find events in your surrounding neighborhood and even set up a host announcement for an event you'd like to list. There's even details on a YouTube video contest you can enter.
Many of the events I found listed close to home included food and item drives which are great opportunities for those of us who want to get young kids involved yet don't know exactly how to make an impact if any on a young child. Families with young children would really enjoy helping 7 year old Diego by purchasing some tasty goodies at the event he and his family are hosting. He's hoping to raise some money for Doctors Without Borders by hosting a Bake Sale and Lemonade Stand event. How inspirational is that?
However, I did find some potentially interesting event opportunities for families with children four and up.
The Kids for Peace and Unity event us calling for families with children 4-10 years old will group to "CREATE some edible or recyclable peace art, SING some songs about unity, HEAR some stories on friendship, and *best of all* MAKE some new friends from different cultural backgrounds."
The Ballona Wetland Preservation event sounds especially ideal and interesting for young families. The event is offering a handful of ways to participate including "Take a nature walk to learn about the habitat, ecology, and stewardship needs in this area of Los Angeles. Remove trash from La Ballona Creek Estuary Channel and Del Rey Lagoon Park, to prevent litter on the beaches and pollution of Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Take photographs and/or use artistic skills and/or write poetry or letters to send messages to elected officials about the importance of saving Egret Park."
Let January 19th be the beginning of something wonderful for your family and on January 20th celebrate another new beginning. So many opportunities to help, so many ways to share the spirit of philanthropy with your kids. Maybe Monday is when your family starts a new adventure. I've seen the magic in my childrens' eyes when they get that special feeling inside that only comes from truly knowing they're made a difference and believing the difference truly matters.
