AmeriCorps and Senior Corps Honor MLK through Day of Service

Published on Friday, January 18, 2019

Volunteers Embark on Intergenerational Community Service Projects

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) announced today that ServeRI will lead 150 Rhode Island volunteers in service projects to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. Rhode Island AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteers will be joined by hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country on this national day of service.

“Today we answer Dr. King’s call to serve and are making a difference in the lives of Providence children and families,” said Brian Darrow, the RIDE Chief of Staff and Chair of the ServeRI Commission for National and Community Service. “A resourceful way to meet local needs, volunteer service is a powerful tool that builds strong communities.”

WHAT: MLK Day of Service

WHEN: Monday, January 21, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Interested press are encouraged to attend at either 9 a.m., during the brief opening program, or at 11 a.m., when projects will be underway for photo opportunities

WHERE: Federal Hill House

9 Courtland Street, Providence, RI 02909

Volunteers will create education kits for families in the Providence Talks program, beautify community center classrooms, and expand space for the Federal Hill House food pantry. The intergenerational service projects will provide time for young adults to serve and reflect with older adults who lived during the lifetime of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. Volunteers come from AmeriCorps VISTA, the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, Learning Community, Providence After School Alliance, Teach For America - Rhode Island, Federal Hill House RSVP, and Foster Grandparent Programs.

Each year, ServeRI joins the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that leads the annual MLK Day of Service, working with the King Center in Atlanta and thousands of non-profit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide.

Over the full weekend, AmeriCorps members will participate in service and reflection events at Federal Hill House, as well as at the Providence Children’s Museum and throughout Woonsocket. These projects include public dialogue and promoting nonviolence, refurbishing schools and community centers, and collecting food and clothing.

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ServeRI seeks to engage individuals in service and volunteerism to meet the needs of Rhode Island students and families. Administered by the Rhode Island Department of Education, ServeRI is the Governor-appointed Rhode Island Commission for National and Community Service, which awards AmeriCorps grants to organizations responding to local needs, promotes Rhode Islanders’ commitment to public service, and organizes the collective effort of volunteer and service opportunities across the state.

The MLK Day of Service is led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation’s volunteer efforts. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.