Day of Service in Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve.” -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
On January 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and millions of our friends across the country will join forces for Together We Serve, a national day of action to lift up our communities and serve our neighbors.
On MLK Day, WA Democrats will join the Biden Inauguration team for a day of service. We’re calling on Democrats from across the state to join us in making an impact in our communities. Through these times of transition, it’s so important that we bring a greater emphasis to building community through caring for our neighbors by providing resources that we know are so needed.
During this pandemic, across all communities, the most common concern is food insecurity. We encourage members to support local food programs in their communities safely, in whatever way they can. Please note that we encourage you to donate within your personal means. We also encourage everyone to post pictures with the hashtag #MLKDayofService and tag @washdems on social media.
Here are some ideas of how you can honor Dr. King’s legacy:
If you have in-kind donations (like non-perishable food) you’d like to give in the spirit of service, your gift would go a long way to help these organizations currently stretched thin facing unprecedented demand.
All organizations would appreciate a monetary donation, if that’s within your resources.
If making a monetary donation isn’t possible, reach out to your local food bank or charity to see if you can donate the gift of your time or talent. Organizations need help distributing food, keeping their facilities clean, or even greeters to extend a warm welcome to the people who come to them for support.
And if you aren’t able to give at all at this time, that is perfectly fine.
The Biden Inauguration Committee is asking folks to submit the details of their service actions or events here. Sign up and submit a day of service activity in your community. After submitting your service activity, it will show up on the Biden team’s database for events.
Spotlight: King County Democrats plan to organize deliveries to local food banks in Seattle, as well as South King County and the Eastside. For more information or if you would like to join them email: info@kcdems.org.
We also encourage everyone to post pictures with the hashtag #MLKDayofService and tag @washdems on social media. When taking photos of more than one person, please wear a mask and follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
Here’s the plan:
1. Find a food resource to support. Make sure you read all COVID guidelines before finalizing your service activity.
2. Make a plan to deliver your service or donation if you are providing it yourself.
3. Submit your day of service activity here.
4. Take your donation to your local charity of choice, head to your designated volunteer center, or execute the online donation.
5. Take a picture or screenshot of your donation. Upload it to social media with the hashtag #MLKDayofService.
We’ve gathered a list of resources for you to find a local food donation center near you:
Ample Harvest – ampleharvest.org/find-pantry
Feeding America – feedingamerica.org
Food Pantries – foodpantries.org
Food Finder – foodfinder.us
Find virtual volunteer opportunities at powerof.org
For any specific questions, members can reach out to Amanda Clarke at aclarke@bideninaugural.org. I’ve also attached a more detailed document to give members a better understanding of what is taking place and how they can get involved!
