Companies Bolster MLK Day of Service Volunteer Efforts

Washington, D.C. – For a growing number of U.S. companies, the MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to invest money, supplies, and employee time to make a difference in their communities and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

“Service is a powerful way for citizens, nonprofits, the private sector and government to work together to meet critical needs and advance King's dream of opportunity for all,” said Robert Velasco, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “This public-private partnership shows how successful we as a nation can be when we unite the drive of our citizens and the resources of the private and nonprofit sectors.”

In this time of economic challenge for the nation, Dr. King's vision of service and volunteering are more critical than ever. Here are several examples of companies supporting the MLK Day of Service:

• Accenture: Partnering with HandsOn Greater DC Cares and the Future Project at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., Accenture volunteers will lead a workshop on college preparedness for the mentee attendees at this event. In line with the education and service focus of the event, Accenture volunteers will work with these young adults to promote college preparedness and inspire conversation and learning around the importance of higher education.
• AllState: Today marks the 4^th Annual AllState Give Back Day, a national event that emphasizes the importance of giving back to communities across the U.S. and engages consumers in key markets to participate in service activities alongside Allstate employees and agency owners.
• ARAMARK: More than 50 ARAMARK volunteers will participate in a variety of projects including a health fair, a job fair and a high school renovation project in the company's headquarters city of Philadelphia. Among the projects are two at Girard College in North Philadelphia, where employees will lead nutrition educational sessions at an ARAMARK Building Community Eat Smart Zone at the community health fair. In addition, ARAMARK's human resources and staffing center professionals will participate the first-ever Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service Jobs Opportunity Fair, offering job search skills and discussing ARAMARK job opportunities.
• Baltimore Gas and Electric employees are spending the day supporting the work of local non-profits, including helping paint Barclay Elementary Middle School, assisting with the Moveable Feast program to provide meals to less fortunate families; and helping with preparations for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.
• Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic: Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States will host two community health and wellness open house events that are free and open to the public, with locations at the Colmar Manor Community Center in Prince George's County, Md. and ACCA Child Development Center in Annandale, Va.
• Kaiser Permanente San Diego: For the eighth consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente San Diego physicians and staff will honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering their time and services at three community organizations throughout San Diego County. More than 120 Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians will turn out to sort food, pick up trash, paint, spruce up buildings and landscape facilities.
• Marriott: On Friday, January 13, chefs from Marriott Inc., and DC Central Kitchen, the high school chefs from St. Andrews Episcopal High School, Gonzaga College High School, Archbishop Williams High School (Boston, MA), Atlantic City High School (N.J.) and Hospitality High School of Washington, D.C., competed while producing 150 meals for Bethesda Cares, an organization dedicated to assisting and feeding the homeless in the DC Metro area. Students from the competing schools regularly prepare and distribute food to those in need in their communities through The Campus Kitchens Project.
• Target: Target team members are engaging in volunteer projects across the nation, partnering with local organizations to carry out a wide variety of activities, including 1,200 team members volunteering with Chicago Cares and an event in New York City announcing Target's title sponsorship of NYC Service Corps education program.

For more information, and year-round volunteer opportunities are available at Serve.gov.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service:

In 1994, Congress passed legislation encouraging Americans to observe the King Holiday as a national day of service that brings people together from different backgrounds to meet needs in their community. The Corporation for National and Community Service was designated as the lead federal agency to execute the King Day of Service. Participation has grown every year since its inception. The King Day of Service provides Americans the opportunity to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King through service to meet local and national needs. For more information visit MLKDay.gov.

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