MLK Day Service Projects: How To Help In Deerfield

DEERFIELD, IL — 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 Deerfield 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.

GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE

The Village of Deerfield invites everyone to participate in a Day of Service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Collection boxes will be placed at the Jewett Park Community Center west entrance for donations to the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry and Veterans' Closet. Residents are encouraged to make cards of support for those in need along with their donations.

The items most needed at this time include:

• Baby and child diapers
• Pull ups
• Baby wipes
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Any kind of cleaning and laundry supplies
• Hand sanitizer
• Any size socks
• Gift cards
• Towels
• Sheets
• Cold weather clothing (coats, gloves, etc.)

Donations can also be made online here.

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

Those have included Highland Park, 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 Deerfield.

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.