January 16th saw many barbeques, sales events, and much general lounging on the sofa. Many hardworking folks looked forward to this Monday because it meant an extra day of sleeping in, finally tackling that home project list that has been piling up, or simply a day of much deserved rest. Children loved it because it meant a long weekend and a reprieve from the dreaded spelling test on Monday. Some folks, however, decided to take the day on.

New York City saw a large number of volunteers taking on the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King by serving as a part of the Coalition Against Hunger and joined in on their third annual “Martin Luther King Day Serve-a-Thon.” Willing volunteers had the opportunity to help out at local food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the holiday weekend including Monday.

In Los Angeles, a concerted effort by Hope Worldwide and the Los Angeles International Church of Christ produced the “LA Day On Hope, Day Of Service” which prepared a children’s carnival for families housed at Salvation Army shelters in the Southland. Additionally, crisis resource information was made available to individuals staying at the shelters, while also benefiting evacuees from the hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Hundreds of volunteers participated in the event that left Salvation Army housing trailers painted, volunteer sites beautified, and children with smiles on their faces and some happily won prizes in their hands.

All across this great nation did volunteers take the day to honor the legacy and memory of Dr. King by seeking to follow his footsteps, learning to have the compassion he had, seeing the wrongs that need to be righted like he did, and motivating the next generation to do the same – just like he did. If you were not part of it this year, why not make it a belated New Years resolution to become involved next year? No matter where you live, there are most likely a large number of events honoring the memory of the slain civil rights hero. So next year, go take the day on!