“The King Holiday celebrates Dr. King’s global vision of the world house, a world whose people and nations had triumphed over poverty, racism, war and violence. The holiday celebrates his vision of ecumenical solidarity, his insistence that all faiths had something meaningful to contribute to building the beloved community.”
– Mrs. Coretta Scott King
Arizona Serve Honors MLK through Education and Service
AmeriCorps has designated MLK Day as a significant day for promoting service in our country. However, this day means even much more to communities in the United States and the rest of the world. Our goal both here at Arizona Serve, and AmeriCorps more broadly, is to make King’s legacy an integral part of our own work in eliminating poverty through addressing the social, cultural, legal, and systemic barriers that continue to hinder us from becoming the America that King knew was possible.
Both in Tucson and Prescott, to support our members in achieving this goal, we held virtual workshops that addressed social inequalities and possible solutions in our communities. In Tucson, five of our State members led different sessions, including: Justice Across Spaces (Asia Richardson – Palo Verde Family Resource Center); Solidarity: Statehood vs. Abolition (Bowie Estrada – City High School); Making Spaces for the Blindness Community (Juno Alonzo – SAAVI Services for the Blind); Human Solutions to the Digital Divide (Cindy Hogan – Literacy Connects); and Practicing Anti-Racism for Making Lives Better (Preeti Kamat – Seeds Community Center).
After the workshop sessions, members traveled to their respective service projects that took place at: Tucson Village Farm; River Restoration Project; the Boys & Girls Club with Serve Tucson; and Sonoran Prevention Works (at Changemaker High School); and a diaper drive led by our Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona members (also at Changemaker).
All events were successful and we even got covered by local TV news stations KUNG9 and KVOA!
However, this day would have not been possible without the support of our community partners, donors, Arizona Serve staff, Changemaker High School, and – most importantly – our AmeriCorps members!
How else can you support Arizona Serve?
Become a member! Are you wondering what to do after high school or college? For a gap year? Seeking service-learning opportunities to fill up your schedule? Wanting to build your resume? Or are looking for volunteer opportunities after retirement? Consider serving as an AmeriCorps member through Arizona Serve!
And how can Arizona Serve support you?
Do you want to grow your non-profit? Do you need help with accessing or developing non-profit resources? Hosting an Arizona Serve member may be the right start for you!