We already have a National Day of Service – MLK Day

August 25, 2009 | Steve McGough | |

I’ve been reading about the planned Sept. 11 National Day of Service. I certainly do not have an issue with service, but if my memory serves right – and it does today – we already have a national day of service… Martin Luther King Day.

There has been a bit of a kerfuffle about Democrats selecting Sept. 11 as a national day of service. The event – with more at Serve.gov – been discussed over at Hot Air, Atlas Shrugs and Gateway Pundit, but I’m wondering what this development means for the Martin Luther King national day of volunteer service?

From the MLKDay.gov Web site (yes, with the .gov domain)…

In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the King Holiday as a national day of volunteer service. Instead of a day off from work or school, Congress asked Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action. The King Day of Service brings together people who might not ordinarily meet, breaks down barriers that have divided us in the past, leads to better understanding and ongoing relationships, and is an opportunity to recruit new volunteers for your ongoing work.

Participation in the King Day of Service has grown steadily over the past decade, with hundreds of thousands of Americans each year engaging in projects such as tutoring and mentoring children, painting schools and senior centers, delivering meals, building homes, and reflecting on Dr. King’s life and teachings. Many of the projects started on King Day continue to engage volunteers beyond the holiday and impact the community year-round.

Although the scope of the event grows every year, many people still are not aware of the service component of the holiday. By encouraging the participation of as many organizations as possible, we hope to make next year’s King Day of Service the biggest and best ever, engaging more people in service that honors Dr. King’s life and teachings.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

3 Comments

  1. JoeyMac on August 25, 2009 at 9:58 am

    I really wonder how many people actually perform "service" on Martin Luther King day? I think the MLK day experiment has worn out its welcome. It never happen, for obvious reasons, but the conservatives in Congress should introduce legislation to get repeal MLK day. Seriously, what's the point!



  2. Trawlerowner on August 27, 2009 at 6:41 am

    We are senior citizens and we volunteer every week. We don't need to have a "special day" set aside to get us to volunteer. To set aside 9/11 as a Day of Service is a disgrace to to the memory of those who gave their lives on that day.



  3. Dimsdale on August 27, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    I think the Democrats and Obama meant "National Day of Servicing", which is what the Obamaroids will be doing to the U.S.



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