Morning Of Service Planned At Vienna Church For MLK Jr. Day

VIENNA, VA — Anyone looking for a volunteer opportunity on Martin Luther King Jr. Day need not look any further than Vienna. The Church of the Good Shepherd will hold its second annual Morning of Service Monday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Service projects for all ages will be available to volunteers. Mariella Walker, the event coordinator, says the Morning of Service says it's a way for middle and high school students to earn volunteer hours.

Projects include tying no-sew blankets for sick/injured children at the Ronald McDonald House in Falls Church and no-sew scarves for the Bethany Women’s Center in Washington, D.C.; collecting and sorting food, diapers and other personal care items for distribution to pantries in Reston and Herndon; painting and decorating "Kindness Rocks" to distribute in the community; collecting, sorting and delivering children’s books to Title I schools in Fairfax County; and creating artwork and thank-you notes for first responders, teachers, veterans and injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Another project involves collecting plastic tops and caps for a recycling project to make a community bench. The church’s youth members have already sorted through 109 pounds of plastic with a goal of collecting 200 pounds.

"It’s great to see our community come together to help others, and I’m particularly excited that we’re adding the recycling project to help teach children to take care of our planet," said Pastor Eric Song. "We invite all ages to help with these service activities that will assist local families and schools and honor the legacy of Dr. King."

Residents are encouraged to bring plastic tops and caps, canned food, diapers and gently used children’s books for the projects. The church is located at 2351 Hunter Mill Road in Vienna. For more information, visit www.goodshepherdva.com.