By: Bill Cates & Maria Galasso
On Monday, January 15, 2024, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. MLK Day is
also one of two national days of service each year. The other day is September 11.
We encourage anyone with time off from work to serve other people in their
communities on or around those days. It can be as formal as distributing food to
unhoused people at a soup kitchen or as simple as offering a hand to your neighbor or a
friend.
Numerous opportunities to serve on or around MLK Day were posted on the Volunteer
Network OC app. For example, on Saturday, many of our volunteers registered for and
volunteered at Qoheleth Ministries in Costa Mesa to pass out groceries to families in
need. Following Qoheleth, some of them doubled down and joined other volunteers at
Clothing the Homeless in Santa Ana to distribute clothing to individuals and families in
need.
On Monday, Volunteer Network OC organized and distributed sandwiches and Bombas
socks at The HUB in Orange. Most of the people we served live along or near the Santa
Ana river, and have been suffering from the cold weather at night. We were joined by
Clothing the Homeless CEO, Mitchell Raff, who handed out coats and jackets.
Everyone we served expressed their gratitude for the food and warm clothing.
For those who would like to volunteer and make a difference in our community, we
make it simple. Download our free app on Google Play or the App Store, register with
us, search events, choose an event, and then with one click you’re ready to show up
and help.
It’s Volunteering Made Easy!
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ ”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
