Here are seven places to volunteer on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday a national day of service in honor of King's vision of a "Beloved Community."
Organizations throughout South Jersey are planning volunteer events for people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures to come together on Jan. 18 to serve the community in a variety of different ways.
Rutgers University-Camden
Rutgers-Camden Campus Center, 326 Penn Street, Camden
Volunteers can participate at several locations on and off campus including the Center for Environmental Transformation, Salvation Army Kroc Center, Neighborhood Center and TeenSHARP.
Registration begins at 8 a.m.
For more information, visit www.camden.rutgers.edu, call 856-225-6995 or email ccountry@camden.rutgers.edu.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Camden County
Brighten the View in Camden
Volunteers are needed to paint murals on windows, and brighten door and window frames with a fresh coat of paint.
For more information, visit www.jerseycares.org.
Stockton University's 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Stockton University project leaders are organizing volunteer opportunities on and off campus locations including ARC of Atlantic County, Family Services Association - English Creek in Egg Harbor Township, Family Services Association food drive on campus, and South Jersey Horse Rescue in addition to many others.
For more information, visit www.stockton.edu/MLKday.
Gloucester Township's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Charles W. Lewis Middle School, 875 Erial Road in Blackwood
Mayor David Mayer and members of the township council for several volunteer opportunities throughout the township including collecting and organizing donations at the Food Bank at St. Agnes Church, creating greeting cards for soldiers, assist fire fighters at Blenheim Fire Company, and archiving old letters at Gabrell Davels Tavern, just to name a few.
For a complete listing, visit www.glotwp.com or call 856-261-9513.
Friends School Mullica Hill
15 High Street in Mullica Hill
Even though school will be closed for the day, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 18, the eighth grade class at Friends School Mullica Hill will host a morning of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Community members can join students in creating welcome packets for Meals on Wheels, making Valentines for veterans, putting together bird feeders, and participating in campus and classroom clean-up projects.
The day will begin with silent Quaker worship at the Mullica Hill Friends Meeting house next door to the school at 9 a.m.
Folwell Elementary School in Mount Holly
455 Jacksonville Road in Mount Holly
Mount Holly Township, the recreation department, and township schools will host a toy drive and card making event at Folwell Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 18 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Community members are invited to donate new toys that will be given to the Virtua Foundation and the children at Virtua Memorial Hospital, and also to make cards for patients at the Virtua Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Last year, Mount Holly Township collected and donated more than 400 toys and created 150 cards during the MLK Day of Service.
The Perfecting Church
Winslow Township Municipal Complex, 125 South Route 73 in Braddock
The Perfecting Church will host a "Loving Our Cities" event in honor of MLK Day of Service beginning at 9 a.m. on Jan. 18.
Clergy, businessmen, and civic and elected leaders will gather at the Winslow Township Municipal Complex for an opening service before participating in various projects throughout Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties, and also locations in Philadelphia.
Projects include making greeting cards for nursing home residents at the Burlington County Main Library, Winslow site clean up, a reading activity for medically fragile children at Voorhees Pediatric Facility, and assembling toiletry kits for women's shelters at A Woman's Business in Atco.
For more information, visit www.theperfectingchurch.org.
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.