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True compassion is more than flinging a coin at a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
For the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will have a broad overarching theme of Economic Opportunity. The best way to honor Dr. King's legacy is for people to unite and engage in service that addresses local issues and meets critical community needs. Dr. King worked for increased opportunity for all Americans. Now, more than ever, we need to work to create and support opportunities for Americans to strengthen economic security.
If you haven't begun planning for the MLK Day of Service, there are ideas below to help you incorporate the economic opportunity theme into your project. Are you already in the middle of your planning? Many service projects provide, support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people.
On this holiday, we should re-commit ourselves to serving each other and our communities--seeking to increase opportunities to improve lives.
Help to teach financial literacy. Financial literacy is an important lessons for all of us. Learn the ins and outs of financial literacy and then teach it to others.
Help people access programs to help them file their taxes. There are many ways to help, whether it's is becoming a tax volunteer or coordinating participants. All skill levels and talents are needed!
Help someone who is out of work with their resume or hold a resume creation workshop. With the unemployment level being at record highs it is more important than ever to have an effective resume. Host a resume building workshop to help community members create or polish their existing resume.
Help someone access public benefit programs. Only 34% of eligible seniors are enrolled in SNAP/Food Stamps. Hold a seminar to help connect community members with eligible programs can get them through a rough patch.
If you are already planning your MLK Day of Service project, consider adding an economic opportunity component or explore how your existing project contributes to economic opportunity. Below are some easy ways to add or highlight the economic opportunity theme through your project.
- Create handouts with information about public programs or benefits that might be accessible to members of your community.
- Hold a "Dress for Success" clothing drive in conjunction with your service project so people can donate professional clothes to members of the community who need them for interviews and networking opportunities.
- If you are partnering with a soup kitchen to cook meals on MLK Day, see if you can also partner with an organization that helps underserved youth, bring them to the kitchen, and ask a local chef to lead a discussion. You may inspire a few to start a new career.
- If you are doing repairs and beautification at a school in a low-income community, focus on how creating a stimulating learning environment can be beneficial to disadvantaged youth.
- Leave time for reflection at the end of your service project. At this time, participants can be challenged to identify their values, compare their assumptions to real world experiences, and make connections between their actions and Dr. King's teachings.
- Make sure your follow up press release shows the impact of your service project by highlighting the money your project saved the community, the number of people who received financial or other information; the people who will got an unexpected tax credit or refund; or the number of people who reported learning new information that they plan on sharing.
This Wednesday, November 30th at 3:00 p.m. we will be repeating the Finding Resources & In-Kind Donations webinar. This webinar will include:
- Identifying and Using Leaders and Champions
- Raising Financial Resources
- Securing In-Kind Donations
View the Action Update on Finding Resources and In-Kind Donations.
If you missed it, we will also be repeating the Volunteer Recruitment webinar as well as adding two new webinars in the coming weeks. These webinars will help you to plan and execute successful MLK Day projects and activities.
- Recruiting Volunteers (repeated) – December 7, 2011
- Creating a Communications Plan– December 14, 2011
- Final Preparations – January 11, 2012
