COLUMBUS, Ohio – The life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be remembered and honored today through acts of service in Ohio and around the country.
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The federal holiday became a national day of service in 1994 and every year, more and more people become engaged and want to give back to their community according to Samantha Warfield, with the Corporation for National and Community Service.
“Maybe you use MLK Day as a day where you’re going to pledge service year around. MLK Day is often a time that becomes a launching pad for both volunteer organizations and volunteers,” she said.
In Ohio, schools, universities, businesses, and community organizations are hosting service events around the state. Warfield says young people have grown up learning about King in school through learning projects or through history lessons.
Volunteers are doing a variety of projects to help others including sorting donations at food pantries, tutoring, creating care packages for the homeless, and cleaning up neighborhoods.
According to a recent report, Ohioans contributed over six billion dollars of service through more than 283 million hours of service in 2013.