Volunteer Arlington is sponsoring MLK Day of Service with over 12 local nonprofit organizations who will offer service opportunities as well as volunteer training.
The event will begin with check-in at the Arlington Career Center at 816 S. Walter Reed Drive at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. At 9:30 a.m. the participants will travel to their individually selected volunteer opportunity. There are a variety of choices including an intergenerational event at Culpepper Garden bringing together people of all ages with residents of the senior housing facility, assisting Just Neighbors with screening immigrants seeking legal services, and cleaning up trash and debris with Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment and Columbia Pike Cleanup.
For the younger volunteers, opportunities are available for labeling and sorting books that have been donated to ASPIRE! Afterschool Learning, participating in an intergenerational scavenger hunt followed by purchase and assembly of a few items for a welcome kit for Bridge to Independence families. and bagging food at AFAC for Arlington residents in need. Some events will be held at the Career Center and others at Patrick Henry School across the parking lot. Others may require the participants to transport themselves to a designated location. The service projects and volunteer training will be held from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Volunteer training opportunities will be offered for Alliance for Housing Solutions, Arlington Free Clinic, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, ASPIRE! Afterschool Learning and Community Progress Makers Advocacy Training.
The event is free but registration is required to select a service assignment. Register at volunteer.leadercenter.org
In 1994 Congress enacted the King Holiday and Service Act designating Martin Luther King Jr. Federal holiday as a national day of service. Volunteer Arlington urges, "Instead of taking a day off, let's all make this a 'day on' and work together to move closer to making King’s vision of a 'Beloved Community.'"
Volunteer Arlington is a public-private partnership with Arlington County. It was formed in 1972 as the Volunteer Office in the Department of Human Resources through the leadership of Ellen Bozman. In 2016 Volunteer Arlington became part of the Leadership Center for Excellence.