In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, creating a day of community service projects in celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. Now, in observance of this national day of service, we are charged with taking a “day on, not a day off.” This program began as part of the President’s national call to service—working to involve all members of our communities in giving back to and supporting others.
River Road Church, Baptist and River Road Preschool will be participating in this MLK National Day of Service on Monday, January 20 by hosting our own Faith in Action worship service and offering mission opportunities. This is a great opportunity to put our faith to work by supporting our community. We will start our day with a short prayer service in the Assembly Room before heading out to donate our time in service.
A Sign-up Genius is available to select an area for service.
We have several areas of opportunity right here in our church and school for service—from wiping down pews or student chairs, to picking up trash in our parking lot or raking our turf playgrounds. Feeling crafty? We will be making encouraging cards for testing week for students at Oak Grove Elementary School. If you wish to work off site, the Reinhart House at St. Mary’s Hospital would welcome volunteers that morning.
Community service plays a much larger role in character education than just doing good deeds for others; it is the very foundation on which we build the future path for responsible citizenship. The internal concepts of kindness, respect for others, and empathy all have their start here. Children need to experience these first hand; not simply hear about them. To fully grasp this experience, we need to act as models for them. From these other qualities ensue—a sense of right and wrong, responsibility, and compassion. These are the qualities we want to build and expand on in our youth of today.
Please consider giving an hour or two of your time on Monday, January 20, as we put our faith into action and participate in this MLK National Day of Service.
Written by Danielle Simone and Sandy Rooney09