Anybody can serve

Monday, January 16 is Martin Luther King Day. There are several opportunities in Chicago for those who wish to honor Dr. King’s leadership in the civil rights movement and his commitment to justice. 

Here’s how you can offer service:

My Block My Hood My City will collect food, winter clothes, home goods, and COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) at 8350 S. King Drive from 10 AM to 12PM in service for seniors. Volunteers may bring items to donate or bring a car to deliver food boxes and home goods to two or three seniors.
The Institute for Nonviolence Chicago is hosting a two-hour introduction to the program Building the Beloved Community, which uses Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence, from 10 AM to 1 PM at 819 N. Leamington Ave.Participants will assemble toiletry packs for neighbors in need. 
Chicago CARES has multiple service events this weekend on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. You can find an opportunity on their volunteer page. 
The Obama Foundation and The Honeycomb Project will host a day of service  from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Southside YMCA, 6330 S. Stony Island, in support of four local organizations: Nourishing Hope, Growing Home, Connections for Abused Women & Children, and The Love Fridge. Due to limited capacity, registration to attend is required. Please RSVP online by Saturday, January 14. In the event the event reaches capacity, please consider donating directly to one or more of the local organizations.

These learning opportunities are available:

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago will host MacArthur Fellow Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller for a virtual conversation titled “Mass Incarceration, Returning Citizens, and a Vision Forward” from 9 AM to 10 AM on Zoom. Dr. Miller, whose work focuses on the systemic injustices in our carceral system and the effects that carry over to both returned citizens and their loved ones, will offer his critique of the system while proposing ways to extend Dr. King’s vision of equity and justice to this vulnerable population.
The Hyde Park Art Center will host Southside Stories from 11 AM to 3 PM at 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Side spaces, Arts + Public Life, Court Theater, Intonation, Lumpen Radio, and more will celebrate Dr. King and honor the legacy of historical Black leaders, spaces, and stories from the south side of Chicago.
Read More