RIDE and ServeRI to Mobilize Volunteers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Published on Sunday, January 15, 2023

More than 100 AmeriCorps members and community volunteers will step up to serve

PROVIDENCE, RI – More than 100 AmeriCorps members and community volunteers will step up to serve on the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, organized by the Governor's Commission for National and Community Service – ServeRI – and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). Volunteers will prepare 20,000 meals for distribution to Providence children and families in partnership with the Federal Hill House Food Center and the Outreach Program. Rhode Islanders will join hundreds of thousands of community members across the country in honoring Dr. King's legacy through volunteer service.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service is a defining moment each year when community members across the country work hand in hand to make communities more equitable, underpin racial equity, expand civic opportunities, and foster respect. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that leads the annual MLK Day of Service working with state service commissions, like ServeRI, and thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide to take action in an effort to create the beloved community of Dr. King’s dream. For more information about the MLK Day of Service, visit AmeriCorps.gov/MLKDay.

“I’d like to thank our AmeriCorps members, ServeRI, and RIDE for their everyday dedication to serving the community,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed. “Dr. King inspired and galvanized the nation, and we must continue advancing his message of unity, equality, and justice onward. On this MLK Day of Service, we have an opportunity to renew our commitment to a cause greater than ourselves. By choosing to serve others in ways big and small, we are picking up the torch of service from generations past and laying the foundation for a better tomorrow.”

“This is the fifth year that the Department of Education and ServeRI have organized an MLK Day of Service to recognize the role of service in creating a beloved, thriving community,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “The AmeriCorps members and volunteers inspire all of us to begin the year dedicated to equity and meeting the needs of our communities. I am deeply thankful for all those who will step up and serve.”

WHO:           

• Senator Jack Reed
• Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green
• ServeRI, part of the RI Department of Education
• Federal Hill House
• AmeriCorps Members
• Community Volunteers

WHAT: ServeRI MLK Day of Service

WHERE: Federal Hill House Association - Food Distribution Center, 35 Swiss Street, Providence, RI 02909

WHEN: Monday, January 16, 2023. Event is 10:00AM-3:00PM. Officials to be present at 11:00am

By coming together volunteers will work in teams to combine shelf-stable ingredients to package approximately 6,000 nutritious meals per hour that can be distributed by Federal Hill House and other food pantries. Volunteers will also spend time learning about hunger in Rhode Island and reflect on social justice and equitable food systems. The majority of volunteers are organized by ServeRI, AmeriCorps, City year Providence, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, Federal Hill House, and Teach For America.

Projects across the nation include delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, reading to children, promoting nonviolence and more. The MLK Day of Service shines a spotlight on service as a powerful force to bridge economic and social divides – today and throughout the year. 

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RIDE operates ServeRI, the Governor-appointed state service commission that coordinates Rhode Island’s AmeriCorps programs and promotes volunteering across the state. RIDE and ServeRI awarded $2.5 million in AmeriCorps grants and $1.2 million in AmeriCorps Education Awards for fiscal year 2023. This year, ServeRI AmeriCorps members will serve with Children’s Friend and Service, Family Service of Rhode Island, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, Highlander Charter School, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, Providence After School Alliance, SAGA Education, Segue Institute for Learning, Teach For America, and TerraCorps. Learn about paid, volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps at www.americorpsri.com.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.