Participants painting a mural during the 2017 MLK Day of Service. File photo.
Join Leadership Long Beach, the Port of Long Beach, the Office of Mayor Robert Garcia, the Office of Vice Mayor Rex Richardson and numerous community organizations during MLK National Day of Service on Monday to participate in service projects throughout Long Beach.
The “Day On, Not a Day Off” event will begin with a kick off rally at 8:00AM at Houghton Park in North Long Beach and mark the eighth year Leadership Long Beach and its alumni have collaborated with the community and its partners to give back for MLK, Jr. National Day of Service.
Past projects have given volunteers a chance to plant trees in area parks, harvest fruit for local food banks, participate in nature trail clean-ups and remove trash and debris from vacant lots. All are invited to select and register for a project through the link here. This year’s service activities include landscaping at Houghton Park, cleaning up a North Long Beach alley, painting and gardening and more.
“This collaborative project, which touches the diverse communities of Long Beach, aligns with the MLK, Jr. National Day of Service goal to ‘Make it a Day On, Not a Day Off’,” Jeff Williams, executive director of Leadership Long Beach, said in a statement. “By having all of Long Beach serve together, it is a great way for the community to focus on the messages from Dr. King while participating in acts of service and celebrating his life’s work.”
While each site will supply most necessary tools and materials, volunteers should dress appropriately for their selected project, bring their own reusable water bottle and prepare themselves for mostly outdoor, physical activities, the release stated.
Additional partners for the 2018 MLK Day of Service include the Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach, City of Long Beach, Long Beach Firefighters Association, Our Foods, Ricardo’s Nursery, Grant Neighborhood Association and Hamilton Neighborhood Association.
Houghton Park is located at 6301 Atlantic Avenue. The kick-off rally and parking will take place at 6335 Myrtle Avenue.
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