Where to volunteer for MLK Day service events in NW Philly

On Monday, hundreds of thousands of volunteers throughout America will come together to honor the late Martin Luther King, Jr. through a day of service in their communities.  Last year, more than 100,000 people participated in the Greater Philadelphia area.

 

 

This month, as King would have marked his 84th birthday, organizers and volunteers are gearing up for the 18th annual event.  Here’s a list of service events taking place in Northwest Philadelphia. 

Cliveden (6401 Germantown Avenue) will host “Remembering the Dream,” a celebration in honor of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event is free and open to the public, with complimentary refreshments provided by Little Jimmie’s Bakery Café. Serena Sol Brown and the Sol Unlimited Orchestra will perform at Cliveden from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Ivy Ridge Green is hosting cleanups at Germany Hill, Ottinger Track and the Schuylkill River bike trail from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday.  Work includes vine and invasive plant removal, trash removal and various plantings. To sign up for one of these projects, call Blaise Syrnick at 215-651-6526. 
The MLK Day of Service and Celebration at Germantown Friends School (31 West Coulter Street) will begin with walk-in registration opening at 8 a.m. and a host of service projects running until 1 p.m. Volunteers on campus will be making food, creating books-on-tape, and collecting winter care packages.
Global Citizen is helping organize more than 1,500 service projects throughout the region. Its signature project, at Girard College (2101 South College Avenue), has already reached its capacity with 4,000 volunteers, but a full list of other volunteer projects in the region is available on its website. Global Citizen is accepting volunteers up to and through Martin Luther King Day.
Legacy Youth Tennis and Education Center is hosting a clothing and equipment drive at noon on Monday. The center is collecting tennis apparel, sneakers, tennis rackets, and children’s books on and before MLK Day at 4842 Ridge Avenue.
Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin will lead the Philadelphia Orchestra in an afternoon of music, readings, and reflection at the Martin Luther King High School. The event begins at 4 p.m. at 6100 Stenton Ave.
Philadelphia Reads’ book drive will also be held at MLK High School, in Room 327.
The Unitarian Society of Germantown will host service projects at their site (6511 Lincoln Drive) including assembling bagged lunches and collecting coats for a winter coat drive from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Information on the array of off-site projects is available at the Unitarian Society’s website. 
The Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers will be hosting two outdoor cleanups in the Wissahickon Valley Park. The first will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will meet at Wigard Avenue off of Henry Avenue in Roxborough. The second shift will be held on Monday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the corner of Henry Avenue and Livezey Lane in Roxborough. For more information, contact Susannah Beckett at 215-951-0330 x2175 or susannahb@rhd.org. 
On Sunday, the Simons Youth Access Center in West Oak Lane will host a community discussion from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the influence individuals can have in the community. On Monday, the same center will host an outdoor cleanup from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Donnell Martin at 215-685-8551. 

Did we miss any events? If so, let us know in the comment section below. Anyone interested in volunteering or hosting a project should call 215-665-2475 or register online.