Give Back to Your Community during the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service

Each year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday named in his honor. As a leader in the Civil Rights Movement that began in the 1950s, Dr. King dedicated his life to the nonviolent pursuit of justice and racial equality.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—this year being celebrated on Monday, January 20—is also designated as a National Day of Service, when all Americans are encouraged to volunteer in their communities. With NYC public schools and offices closed to mark the holiday, this is a great time to get involved and give back to your neighborhood!

We’re sharing some resources you can use to find community service opportunities near you throughout the weekend and year—we hope you’ll join us in participating in some of these events to make it a “day on, not a day off.”

NYC Service

NYC Service provides access, opportunity, and resources for community involvement—use their database to find dozens of volunteer opportunities across the city taking place throughout the weekend of Saturday, January 18–Monday, January 20.

NYC Parks

Join volunteers across all five boroughs to help clean up and care for NYC parks in your neighborhood.

Volunteer New York

Learn about civic and community engagement with Volunteer New York’s MLK Day webinar from 10AM–11AM on Saturday, January 18. You can also find volunteer opportunities for this weekend and throughout the year at volunteernewyork.org/search.

Americorps

Find volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood with AmeriCorps Volunteer Search, which also provides a filter for events taking place in celebration of MLK Day. You can also check out their MLK Day Resources, which may be particularly helpful for those looking to start their own service projects.

Hunger Free America

Join Hunger Free America in uplifting Dr. King’s message of justice during their annual Serve-A-Thon at an in-person event near you, or at one of their virtual events.

New York Cares

Find volunteer opportunities across the city, participate in their annual coat drive, and more through New York Cares.

Three students at the beach stand in front of the water on the sand. The first student (left) is holding a clipboard and pencil, while the second student (center) places litter into a trash bag held by the third student (right), using a trash picker. — There are so many great ways to give back to your community this weekend, and all year long!

Points of Light

Search the Points of Light Engage database for volunteer opportunities for the National Day of Service taking place in your neighborhood, and find resources that will help you host your own.

The Kings Bay Y

Participate in the Kings Bay Y’s MLK Day event, which will feature a variety of activities including bingo, chair yoga, and art stations.

Youth Service America

Find project ideas and tools, events, and more through Youth Service America’s MLK Day Campaign.

No matter how you choose to spend your "day on," we hope you will join us in celebrating Dr. King's legacy of service this weekend as we work together to make our communities stronger.