Yesterday, 185 volunteers plus150 students and families volunteered at public schools in Harlem, Bushwich and Boerum Hill, Brooklyn in honor of MLK Day.

Volunteers in Bushwick included a group of high school students associated with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) from Brooklyn International High School. The students, recent refugees to the United States,  presented inspirational stories and volunteered alongside adults and elementary school students.

— By Samara Berger, New York Cares Custom Service Events Manager

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure in the Civil Rights Movement and created much needed conversation among generations to follow.  Through his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement and the preaching of justice, equality, and love for fellow man, Dr. King broke new ground with legislations; led and inspired men, women, and children of all ages and races; and fought against poverty.

Devastatingly, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice was silenced when he was assassinated in 1968, but his passion for equality still lives on in today’s generations. In 1986, MLK Day was celebrated for the first time as a federal holiday, honoring this great figure’s birthday and the strides that Dr. King made both in life and in death.  January 17, 2011, marks the 25th celebration of MLK Day, recently established as the MLK Day of Service, answering President Obama’s national call to service initiative.

So why should we serve, you ask?  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” On MLK Day of Service we can answer Dr. King’s question by serving those in need.

We can revitalize schools that don’t have the budget for a fresh coat of paint.  We can serve meals to those who often go without food.  We can provide school supplies for children who struggle to find a fresh notebook.  We can teach younger generations the importance of giving back and show them how to get involved.  And we can challenge ourselves to bring individuals and communities together and truly make a difference in our neighborhoods.  That’s why we serve!

Please join New York Cares and volunteer on this very special anniversary! Learn more about Dr. King’s life from The King Center.

Inspired by these words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Youth Service Club students from Manhattan Center High School came together for an MLK Day discussion with a group of New York Cares volunteers from Dr. King’s generation to reflect on his commitment to serving others and envision the future of service in New York City.

Youth Service Club Member Reidy told the group, “I started volunteering as an obligation, but I continued because I love it. It opens your eyes to people who live differently or have less than you.”

The students were thrilled to have a chance to talk with a generation that witnessed such great societal change and dig deeper into history, and the volunteers were inspired by their commitment to volunteerism:  “Everything restarts with the young generation – and they are dynamite. We are hopeful that change will come.”  — Community Leader Ena McPherson