MLK is a day of service in Philadelphia region

Steets and schools in Philadelphia and the region will be teeming with volunteeers today in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.

Todd Bernstein of the MLK Day of Service anticipates 125,000 volunteers working on 1700 projects throughout the region. It’s the 60th anniversary of the Brown vs Board of Education ruling against school segregation, and Bernstin said the day will focus on giving real educational opportunity to all.

“We’re connecting that to Dr King’s activism on educational equality and also focusing on the current crisis in Philadelphia Schools,” Bernstein said in an interview. “Our signature project will involve more than 100 volunteers at Girard College.”

Bernstein says the group will be assembling much-needed school supplies to help Philadelphia school students, from computers to 10,000 books that will go to classrooms.

“We just can’t rely solely on the governor and the mayor and General Assembly and the School Reform Commission and City Council,” Bernstein said. “We can actually do things that can impact schools throughout the entire city.”

Bernstein said they have been working on collecting the items for months.