Where (and How) To Volunteer on MLK Day

For all of us, Monday Jan 21 is a day off from work and school. For some, it is a chance to give back to their communities.

The Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service aims to provide those looking to give time on Martin Luther Kind Day with a resource to volunteer in Philadelphia.

The organized day of city-wide service, which is now in its 18th year, is a tool that allows organizations to register and publish their events to those looking to volunteer, as well as a means for those with the inclination to volunteer to find a place to spend their time.

According to the group's website, more than 100,000 people volunteered in 2011 through the service, making it the largest event in the nation.
Interested parties can sign up to volunteer at the website here. Its search engine allows users to break results up by zip code and neighborhood.

For your information, here are the groups seeking volunteers in the Northwest as of Wedensday, Jan 16.

• EMAN, WMAN, MAUSA and the Trolley Car Diner have organized a clean-up and fix-up at the Houstion School on West Allens Lane from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is currently closed on that event, but interested parties can contact Abby at athaker@mtairyusa.org or 215-844-6021 with questions.

• Wissahickon Restoaration Volunteers will be cleaning the forest in Wissahickon forest in Roxborough. The group has two events planned, one at 10 a.m. and one at 1 p.m., both on Saturday, Jan 19. Interested parties can contact Susan at susannahb@rhd.org or 267-269-7545.

You can view all the volunteer opportunities on the website's volunteer page.