26th Annual King Day of Service Kickoff, Planning Webinars Beginning Nov 2

Posted by Global Citizen on October 27, 2020

Please join us! Yes, we’re still “ON” for the upcoming Monday, January 18, 2021 26th annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service. Dr. King would not plan to put the concerns of the community behind for even a day, so neither are we, subject to major changes, yet to be determined.

In a 1965 Chicago speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights, Dr. King said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”

Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 has altered our original plans for King Day. But, we at Global Citizen are working with our partners and a committee of physicians and health care professionals to safely serve, impact, and support our community around promoting citizen action in celebration of Dr. King’s birthday and legacy.

Last January, more than 150,000 people of all backgrounds and ages throughout our region celebrated Dr. King’s legacy by turning their community concerns into citizen action in the 25th annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service. Results included:

• 1,930 service projects to place throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, including New Jersey and the state of Delaware,
• 155,000 volunteers came together to serve in solidarity.
• 23,569 children were impacted by various education initiatives.
• An estimated 538,003 people benefited from King Day Service projects.

Please join us by organizing King Day of Service project, which can impact the community throughout the year. In organizing a project/initiative, we encourage you this January to focus on social justice, which meets the needs of the community around the current health crisis.

We are following the recommendations of the organizations like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), our own medical advisory committee, and the health departments from the City of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Considering the prospects of the continuing health crisis, please consider the option of organizing a virtual project(s).

To help support your organizing efforts, we will be hosting a series of King Day of Service planning webinars to assist with project development, volunteer management, and outreach. This will include a virtual approach. Save the date for one of the following virtual workshop dates:

•  Nov 2nd
•  Nov 12th
•  Nov 17th
•  Nov 30th
•  Dec 10th

Also, Global Citizen is looking for various community partners throughout the Philadelphia-area to serve as resource distribution sites. These locations will be used as drop-off/pick-up locations for items like personal protective equipment (PPE), groceries, literacy kits, digital access resources, etc. Should you be interested in this opportunity, please contact Iliana Harris, [email protected].

Please visit our Resource Page to find a list of recommended project ideas, safety protocols, and virtual community conversation guides.

To register a 2021 project(s), click here. This portal will enable you to publicize your projects and recruit volunteers.

If you need help using our website, please call us 215-851-1811 or email us at [email protected]. For any other questions about the planning process, contact Iliana Harris, outreach and programs manager, at [email protected].