Hundreds of Lynn and North Shore residents will step up to serve as volunteers on the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Volunteers will make valentines, package 1000 toiletry kits for homeless persons, serve meals to homeless persons, visit nursing homes, collect food items, clean and organize service agencies, distribute children’s MLK, Jr. books, staff basketball clinics, and teach Dr. King’s message, as they join hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country in volunteer service.
The Lynn Coalition has planned a day of service that will leverage the strength of local citizens to help tackle local problems and advance King’s dream of opportunity for all. The Coalition is chaired by Mary Trahan of Lynn Community Association.. The Coalition is a partnership of Lynn Community Association, Girls Inc., LYSOA, Grace United Methodist Church, Communities that Care, United Way of Merrimac Valley, Social Capital, Inc., LaVida, Lynn Food and Fitness, and Centerboard. Support for the projects are provided through these organizations as well as the Massachusetts Service Alliance, and the State’s Connect & Serve Volunteers program.
The annual event honors Dr. King’s legacy and is an opportunity for locals to renew their own personal vows of citizenship through service to others
WHO: Volunteers from age 3 to 103+
WHAT: 5th Annual Lynn Coalition for MLK, Jr. Service Day.
WHERE: Several projects will be conducted at the Girls Inc. facility at 50 High Street in Lynn, including making valentines for homeless veterans, senior citizens in Lynn Housing and at the Lynn Senior Center, distributing books about MLK, Jr. to children at various early reading levels, making bookmarkers for Lynn library patrons with MLK teachings, packing toiletry kits for homeless vets and Lynn Shelter residents, cleanup at Girls Inc., Outside projects include lunch service at My Brother’s Table, Lynn Shelter Association, Life Care Center of the North Shore, Abbott House, food collection sites at Stop and Shop Lynn on Washington Street, Compare Supermarket on Adams St., Shaw’s Supermarket on Market Street, as well as a Hoops & Dreams event at Lynn YMCA.
WHEN: Volunteers should arrive 30 minutes to an hour prior to their shift for check-in and to enjoy refreshments.
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Monday, January 18th, 2016
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for check-in and breakfast; lunch will be served for volunteers 1 pm to 2 pm.
TO REGISTER: Visit the Lynn MLK Day site at www.lynnmlkday.org. We ask that volunteers pre-register if possible to allow us to better plan for food and project supplies, and to allow volunteers to dress appropriately for the project(s) they choose to work on. Walk-ins will also be welcome.
The Corporation for National and Community Service leads the annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, and schools and businesses nationwide. For further information about the MLK Day of Service and what’s taking place across the country, visit MLKDay.gov.