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AmeriCorps Members Lead MLK Day Projects Across Wisconsin

Jan. 16, 2023

Since 1983, every third Monday in January is designated as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, it honors the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. King, assassinated in 1968. AmeriCorps members nationwide take the lead on honoring the day through community-building projects, large and small. Here is a sampling of just three of many projects completed on or near January 16, 2023 by MCHS AmeriCorps members this year:

Sarah Webb, serving at Volunteer Center of Racine County, held a Youth Mental Health Awareness Event for 11-18 year olds in Racine. Twenty participating youth learned from speakers about different mental illnesses, warning signs of suicide, the LBGTQIA+ community and how hiding the real you affects mental health, and ways to de-stress for less anxiety. Community support for this to be an annual event was outstanding.
Jenifer McKenzie, serving at NAMI of Manitowoc County, organized a food drive targeting local businesses to benefit the Salvation Army of Manitowoc County. She chose this project because good nutrition is key to mental wellness. 700 pounds of food was donated which kept many tummies full and minds sharp this winter.
Tim Hirsch, serving at Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, spent the day transcribing hand-written documents from the short-lived Freedmen’s Bureau founded near the end of the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln. The Bureau supplied formerly enslaved and other impoverished individuals in southern states with food and clothing, hospital care, temporary living camps, and witnessed labor contracts between freedmen and plantation owners or other employers. With Tim’s help, many more records became part of our nation’s history through the Smithsonian’s Digital Volunteers Transcription Center.
  

Visit https://www.americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day to learn more about MLK Day. Then let these projects inspire you to get involved next year on Monday, January 15, 2024!