Helping others in need continues King’s work

At the heart of all that civilization has meant and developed

is “community” — the mutually cooperative and voluntary venture

of man to assume a semblance

of responsibility for his brother…All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

— Martin Luther King Jr., Nashville, Tenn., 1962

Tucked away on a narrow stretch of street in a hilly section of Northeast Washington, homes with front porches rise on a site previously occupied by boarded-up public housing. Built by volunteers, these Habitat for Humanity homes at 54th and Clay streets NE are part of a nationwide effort to bring volunteers and the people they serve together, creating a community of service.

Nowhere is that effort more manifest than on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, which has been designated a special day of service for all Americans.

That’s always been basic to celebrations of the day, but passage of the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday and Service Act in 1994 codified the day as a time for everyone to “assume a semblance of responsibility for his brother.”

Interested in construction? Habitat for Humanity is building homes in Northeast. Like to paint? A myriad of painting projects is happening on that day, thanks to an injection of funds from federal, state and private agencies and from corporations. You can give massages, help people learn to fill out applications, and even take oral histories in some places.

You don’t have to be an expert for any of them. All you have to do is want to help.

“We don’t think Martin Luther King would be thrilled with a holiday that turned into another day at the shopping mall,” says Rhonda Taylor, associate director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

CNCS is the federal agency charged under the 1994 act with taking the lead in promoting and organizing King Day as a day of service. Under its umbrella are Americorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. This year CNCS has earmarked $500,000 for Martin Luther King Day projects nationwide.

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What makes the holiday observances particularly noteworthy this year is their scope. More than ever before, government agencies, faith-based groups, corporations, private organizations, and individuals are working together on projects that will make a difference.

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