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January 15, 2010 marks what would have been the 81st birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The first national celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday took place January 20, 1986 and is observed on the third Monday of January each year. This year the King holiday will be celebrated on Monday January 18, 2010. The theme of this years holiday is “Remember” with the King Day of Service.

Each year on the third Monday of January schools, federal offices, post office and banks across America are closed to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More recently, people have come together to honor his legacy in a more proactive way with the King Day of Service.

The King Day of Service helps to make the celebration of King’s life and teachings into a day of community service. It is said to be a “day on” not a “day off.”

On January, 18, 2010,people across the country will come together to improve lives and bridge social barriers on a national day of service. This ranges from revitalizing schools, bringing meals to shut-ins, removing graffiti from buildings and much more.

MLK.gov is a portal that gives access to a wide variety of volunteering events that are going on not only on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, but during the entire weekend preceding the holiday. Many are calling this “King Weekend”.

Getting involved can be as simple as a single act of kindness or a weekend spent fixing homes in disadvantaged areas. To find out how to volunteer in your area, go to MLK.gov for a full listing of opportunities to give back to your community.

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