The 30th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service saw thousands of volunteers descend upon Girard College in Philadelphia, marking the largest King Day of Service event in the country. The day was dedicated to continuing King's legacy of public service through a wide array of projects, reflecting on his dream, and inspiring ongoing service efforts throughout the year.
People across the nation observe Martin Luther King Day not as a day of rest, but as a day of action. They use the holiday as an opportunity for community service , with the largest King Day of Service event in the country taking place in Philadelphia on the campus of Girard College. On Monday morning, dozens of tables were filled with volunteers as organizations dedicated their time to completing service projects in the Girard College gymnasium.
This marked the location for the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. 'Here at Girard College, we've had about 2,000 volunteers serving in 60 projects,' said Todd Bernstein, director of the Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service and president of Global Citizen. The day aims to carry on King's legacy of public service. This is the 30th year that Global Citizen has organized the event, which attracted a number of Philadelphia city dignitaries, including Mayor Cherelle Parker, various Philadelphia city councilmembers, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. 'It's just phenomenal,' he stated. 'When I think about Martin Luther King -- as a kid who grew up in West Philadelphia, raised by a single mom of four boys -- and he said you have this dream, and here today I stand as police commissioner.' Volunteers from Independence Blue Cross spearheaded the event's signature project, sorting and packing toiletry kits for those in need. A diverse range of groups participated in the event, including one dedicated to making tiny bonding blankets for babies in hospital NICUs across the country. These small knitted cloths are designed to keep babies in the NICU connected to their parents by providing each of them with bonding blankets that carry each other's scent. Volunteers with Sisters Interacting Through Stitches organized this effort. 'You're making it for babies. How could you not want to make something for babies,' said Frances Conwell as she held one of the tiny cloths. 'We're giving away 3,000 books today, in partnership with the reading captains working to get books into the hands of as many kids as we can,' said Rachelle Ferrelli with Book Trust, which partnered with Scholastic Books for the giveaway. 'Dr. King came here on August 3, 1965,' said Bernstein. King protested alongside crowds of Philadelphians and the legendary activist Cecil B. Moore for Girard College to be desegregated. It's a fight that Karen Asper Jordan took on too as a Cecil B. Moore Freedom Fighters. She shared a documentary on the group's journey as part of the MLK Day of Service. Now, as people of all races and ages gather for the service project, they can't help but reflect on Dr. King's dream. Service, however, doesn't end with Monday's event. Global Citizen offers service opportunities throughout the year
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY COMMUNITY SERVICE PHILADELPHIA GIRARD COLLEGE VOLUNTEERS PUBLIC SERVICE LEGACY SOCIAL JUSTICE
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