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I used to volunteer at various organizations, but then life got too crazy and I stopped. The Obamas have invigorated me to do it again. On Monday, I'll be volunteering at The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.

it's easy to find a way to serve, http://my.barackobama.com/page/user/login?successurl=L3BhZ2UvZGFzaGJvYXJkL3ByaXZhdGU=,can hook you up in your neighborhood,
think it's evolving to be MLK weekend, remeber when there were states refusing to honour the day, heartening to find that many organizations are full up, the response has been so overwhelming

one HOPE I have is finally see all service more honoured and rewarded

I took the Obama e-invitation as an opportunity. As a volunteer myself, and board president of Meals-on-Wheels of White Plains, I posted an "event" on the USA Service site, inviting people to an introduction and an orientation to our program. A full 25 have signed up, and they will get to see how our volunteers deliver two meals a day to WP citizens who can't shop or cook for themselves. We hope that some of these people will become regular volunteers themselves. We don't need a one-day infusion; we work 52 weeks a year. So perhaps this will work!

Park Slope Bridge For Change is running an MLK-day book and school supply drive for a school in Brownsville. We will be at several convenient locations in Park Slope/Windsor Terrace to accept donations of new books, gently used books and school supplies. See our event(s) at USASERVICE.ORG.

For folks who don't have Monday off, there are Saturday and Sunday events posted on www.usaservice.org. Also, on Sunday, Feb. 8, Brooklyn for Barack is sponsoring a Continue the Change Service Fair at Union Temple, 17 Eastern Parkway (Grand Army Plaza) from 2-6. There will be 60 non-profit organizations that offer volunteer opportunities; issue-based roundtable discussions; and arts activities for kids (so their parents can have grownup conversations). It's free -- we're just asking folks to bring a box of dried pasta for the food drive.

I'm gonna make the world a better place on Monday by sleeping in late & then having a full, balanced nutritious breakfast when I get up so that I start my day well-rested, healthy & in a good mood which will make it more likely that as I go about my day I will be less aggressive towards others & perhaps even more inclined towards supportive interactions.
Later in the afternoon, I may further contribute to the enhancement of our collective welfare by reading some history & economics (Prof. Kennedy's book on the 1930s-40s is on my list & a gr8t read so far) to better understand where we've come from & how our modern economy actually works, so that as an active citizen engaged in my civic responsibility to direct my representatives in how to get us out of this mess I do less harm & more good by being clear-headed & well-informed (which I humbly submit may be useful advice for many of my fellow do-gooder, save-the-world types to embrace). In short, by advancing my OWN education, I increase & enhance my welfare as well as the worlds.

My husband and I are retired and on Monday we will be delivering our monthly route for Meals on Wheel. Following that I will be tutoring my Korean student in my town's English As A Second Language class. Today my husband is volunteering in our counties "Chore" program a group of volunteers who do small repairs and chores for those unable to do so.
We both feel privileged and lucky to be able to share our good fortune and good health with those in need.

I am looking for an idea to do with my kids (8 and 5) in Northern New Jersey - suggestions? Thanks!

I'll be joining a group going to a women's shelter in Bklyn. It's an extension of a coat drive collection taking place on Saturday.

The New York City Rescue Mission, a service organization for the homeless, is pretty much full of volunteers on Monday, so my wife and I are going to help them out on Sunday.

Rand School in Montclair will for the 6th year be preparing and delivering meals to homebound seniors in our community.

I'm a drama therapist-in-training. I don't have the day off, but I'm hoping my first day of internship counts. I'll be at Mt. Sinai's inpatient psych ward leading a drama group for patients who can more easily articulate their struggles through creative means.

I will be volunteering at the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum... Its a lot of fun meeting all the international visitors and kids that go there. And I support the way the have beaten this sword into a plowshare, educating the public and honoring those who have served!

I volunteer at the ASPCA, assisting in the adoptions center as well as socializing with the animals.

sadly i work for a large newspaper conglomerate and they will not give us monday off.

I will be assembling care packages for the military at RFK.

Is this a paid holiday? Must be for Obama and other Federal employees. I get the day off but it is not a paid holiday - hilarious!

Ummm. Guess, I'll sleep in, and maybe go to the gym. Then maybe I'll send an email to the HR dept. to ask my employer to make it a paid holiday.

I will be mulching trees in Prospect Park on Monday with the NY City Parks.

I do not even have the day off on MLK day!! So I will be volunteering on Sunday instead ( which i usually do with the New York Cares)

I will be painting an old elementary school on the outskirts of a previously racially divided area of Atlanta. The school is still struggling for money and help. They are registered online on change.gov I believe to sign up :-)

http://hoseafeedthehungry.com/

Hosea Feed the Hungry in Atlanta, Georgia

I will be collecting food for the food bank

CWA Local 1062 Food Drive
Description: CWA Local 1062 members will collect food and distribute to local food pantry.
Time: Monday, January 19 12:00 PM (All Day)
Host: Deborah Brudnicki
Location:
CWA Local 1062 (Middletown, NJ)
Middletown, NJ 07748

Brian, like Eva, I'm volunteering service on Sunday. My wife and I, along with our 16-month-old daughter, will assist residents at the Bialystoker Center during their recreation. I do this often. I'm a New York Cares volunteer, and I encourage my fellow New Yorkers to become a part of this FANTASTIC organization.

My group, Northern Westchester for Obama, has collected books, baby clothes, first aid supplies and other items for hospitals, senior centers and child care centers in Westchester County. None of us is a political or fund-raising professional; we're all civilians. The idea is to convert the wonderful community political organization developed by Obama during his campaign to a network of volunteer community service groups. Each community chooses its own project; one group in Dutchess county is working on preserving small farms. (Our collection drive is listed on the change.gov website but, since we have already collected so much "stuff" that the person whose house is being used to store it cannot at this point enter her own living room, I think that we have enough.)

We'll be having an open house 12-2PM in the homeless shelter at our Unitarian Church, 28 E 35th street to introduce people to our work and maybe sign them up to volunteer. PLUS because the Emergency Shelter Network is under threat by the Mayor and his team, cf. http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10383/, this will give us an opportunity to do a little community organizing. (PS, Brian, you should cover this issue, it's a real hot tamale!)

There was a conspiracy to have him silenced but no one will ever know the truth because of our lame, half hearted investigations that the government carries out.

We're doing Service Monday on... Sunday. Because not everyone who wants to volunteer can take Monday off from work, and because not every organization that needs help is actually open on Monday.

Our effort has been organized through existing Obama volunteer and donor lists. Our group includes environmental lawyers, community activists, health care workers, etc.

We want to continue volunteering, AND to use the expertise within the group to keep ourselves abreast of important legislation coming up, so we can support it.