Not only is Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday, it is also celebrated as a day of service.  The philosophy behind that idea is below. Please visit MLKDAY.gov for volunteer opportunities right here in Massachusetts.

 

About the Day of Service >  Why Serve?

During his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly toward a dream of equality. He believed in a nation of freedom and justice for all, and encouraged all citizens to live up to the purpose and potential of America by applying the principles of nonviolence to make this country a better place to live, creating the Beloved Community.  The King Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and teachings into community service that helps solve social problems. That service may meet a tangible need, such as fixing up a school or senior center, or it may meet a need of the spirit, such as building a sense of community or mutual responsibility. On this day, Americans of every age and background celebrate Dr. King through service projects that: Strengthen Communities Dr. King recognized the power of service to strengthen communities and achieve common goals. Through his words and example, Dr. King challenged individuals to take action and lift up their neighbors and communities through service.      Empower Individuals Dr. King believed each individual possessed the power to lift himself or herself up no matter what his or her circumstances – rich or poor, black or white, man or woman. Whether teaching literacy skills, helping an older adult surf the Web, or helping an individual build the skills they need to acquire a job, acts of service can help others improve their own lives while doing so much for those who serve, as well.      Bridge Barriers In his fight for civil rights, Dr. King inspired Americans to think beyond themselves, look past differences, and work toward equality. Serving side by side, community service bridges barriers between people and teaches us that in the end, we are more alike than we are different. These ideas of unity, purpose, and the great things that can happen when we work together toward a common goal – are just some of the many reasons we honor Dr. King through service on this special holiday.

For two days, Blake's 8th graders went in to set up for Christmas in the City.  The help was greatly appreciated by organizers and participants alike.  If you missed the local newscast of yesterday's event, here's a link:

 

This is from today's Boston Herald:

 

More than a quarter million toys are needed to avert a blue Christmas for needy children this year, as the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program in Boston tries to stave off a crisis of soaring requests for help amid plummeting donations.

“We still have about 300,000 (toy requests for) children to help and we probably only helped about 5,000,” said Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Michael Kwiecinski, whose South Boston warehouse is nearly empty just two months into the toy drive.

“Because of the economy, more families are in need, but unfortunately that’s influencing what people donate.”

The Boston area is not alone. Art Enos, Toys for Tots coordinator for Essex and Middlesex counties, said need across the state is up between 20 percent and 25 percent, while the donation events the program has held so far have failed to attract the number of toys they did in the past.

To help, state police spokesman David Procopio said all of its barracks will double as drop-off centers between now and Christmas. He said folks can stop by day or night to donate state-wide.

The economic realities are forcing organizers to make tough decisions about how thin to spread the holiday cheer.

“We’re going to minimize the number of toys we give out. When the economy was good, we might have been able to give three to four toys per child,” Procopio said. “This year we’ll probably be down to one to two per child. We’ll just have to allocate differently.”

But that’s assuming the toys come in. Kwiecinski said a Toys for Tots drive at the Quincy Christmas parade yesterday that routinely nets a large moving truck chock-full of goods only brought in half as much.

“It’s less than half of what we got last year,” he said.

Marines are also running against the clock. In order to fill all the requests by Dec. 23, Toys for Tots needs the unwrapped toys to hit the warehouse no later than Dec. 19, leaving the Boston branch a little over two weeks to help area aid organizations give thousands of kids a happy holiday.

To make matters worse, Kwiecinski said the Marine Corps is staring down the area’s massive want with an empty South Boston warehouse. The program tries to keep the warehouse full by building the supply of donations a year ahead. But last year also saw a downturn in drop-offs, but disaster was averted by a Samaritan at the last minute.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1135881

 

The U.S. Marines Corps Reserve Toys for Tots is in need of support this season. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at State Police barracks across Massachusetts, as well as a variety of companies and organizations. Log on to www.toysfortots.org for a complete list of drop-off sites, or call the Greater Boston Toys for Tots at (617)737-0500. Cash donations can be sent to: Toys for Tots, P.O. Box 319, South Weymouth, MA 02190.