The Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend of Service provides the opportunity for persons of all ages and backgrounds to participate in community-wide service virtually. This Weekend of Service helps to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, and address social problems. The MLK, Jr. Weekend of Service has been expanded from a two-day to a four-day event! A new Community Conversation has been added to provide the context of the importance of Dr. King’s legacy as we kickoff multi-day service projects in his honor.
The 2022 MLK, Jr. Weekend of Service schedule of events is as follows:
- Thursday, January 13 – Community Conversation: Keeping the Dream Alive, Being a Drum Major for Equity and Justice. Join us for a dynamic conversation with local leaders who are guiding the effort to keep Dr. King’s dream alive to ensure an equitable and just community. We will explore what is the difference between equality and equity; what is the One Fairfax policy and how is it affecting change; how are schools nurturing Dr. King’s dream in our students; and how are influencers leading and mobilizing others into action. This event will take place virtually and is free to register and participate in.
- Friday, January 14 – Service Across Generations. AmeriCorps Senior volunteer serving RSVP-Northern Virginia will host a group service project to make Stress Kits for PRS Crisis Link.
- Saturday, January 15– Valentine’s Challenge: Let’s Show our Teachers some Love! We are so excited to again offer a way for the community to come together and support one another. The 2022 Valentine’s Challenge will have volunteers (that’s YOU) handcraft Valentine cards from home for Fairfax County Public Schools teachers, support staff, and administrators. We have a goal to collect 5,000 Valentine cards and deliver them to selected schools across Fairfax County. Help us show these schools some love during these challenging times!
- Monday, January 17 – Give Together- Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This signature Volunteer Fairfax event provides families with opportunities and ideas for serving local nonprofits. Going virtual for the second year in a row, Give Together will produce a digital MLK, Jr. Weekend of Service Volunteer Guidebook that outlines critical mission areas, like food and housing insecurity, animal welfare, senior well-being, and more. The Volunteer Guidebook outlines simple and practical ways that young people can organize and prepare donations and get involved in these critical need areas. The event is free and young children can participate with the support of a family member or mentor and teens will enjoy completing the projects on their own.
- Monday, January 17th between 10-12, you can help support the Jam the Trolley food drive. In partnership with the Pozez Jewish Community Center, Volunteer Fairfax is collecting food items for local shelters and food pantries. Contactless drop-off will be available in the parking lot of the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia located at 8900 Little River Turnpike in Fairfax, VA 22030.
To register for each event and gather more details, click here.
The 2022 MLK, Jr. Weekend of Service is supported by AT&T, Deloitte, Transurban, Wegmans, and The Williams Company. For more than 47 years, Volunteer Fairfax has mobilized people and resources to improve communities in the region. Through a variety of programs, special events, and services, Volunteer Fairfax engages thousands of volunteers annually to make an impact on the quality of life in Fairfax County and beyond.