MLK Day Service Projects: How To Help In Buckhead

BUCKHEAD, GA — Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been designated by groups and organizations nationwide as “a day on” since the third Monday of January was designated a national holiday in memory of the late civil rights icon. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, there are ways to make a positive difference in Buckhead on the Jan. 18 holiday this year.

Organized service projects have taken the place of the traditional work or school holiday in recent years. But in 2021, restrictions in place to slow the further spread of the coronavirus are impacting the ability to perform some good deeds.

• Hands On Atlanta Day of Service: Hands On Atlanta will celebrate MLK Jr. Day all month long, with volunteer opportunities set to take place on Monday beginning at 9 a.m. Visit the Hands On Atlanta website to learn more and see the variety of volunteer opportunities, including planting trees, hosting or attending a virtual Civic Dinner, assisting with farm projects and more.
• Hosea Helps: Hosea Helps is hosting a food drive at the Georgia World Congress Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 18. Food, blankets and safety items will be given out via an outside walk-up and drive-thru. For more information or to donate money, visit Hosea Helps' website.
• Repair the World: Repair the World — an organization that gathers volunteers to support local neighborhoods through partnerships with community-based organizations — is launching more than 600 coronavirus-safe volunteer opportunities for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, both in-person and virtually. There are seven Atlanta-area projects being offered for the holiday, ranging from delivering meals and clothing to planting trees. To sign up, visit the website.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, communities across the country held large events in various locations promoting service on the holiday.

Those have included Highland Park, Illinois, where the local human relations advisory group usually draws about 1,200 people every year to a service program that has turned into one of the city’s signature yearly events.

This year, the city will hold a virtual program to “honor the legacy of Dr. King's fight against inequity and his work to secure a just future for all,” Amanda Civitello, communications manager for the city of Highland Park, said in a news release.

Even if there aren’t any organized service projects planned nearby, there are several other ways to help those in need in or near Buckhead.

Donating to nonprofit organizations, volunteering with food banks and pantries, and delivering meals and groceries to seniors are a few suggestions outlined by the national volunteer program AmeriCorps.

A list of organizations supporting COVID-19 response efforts had been made available by the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.