Saturday, January 18, 2020
Start the new year out with a resolution to be great! As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve”. The 9th annual MLK Day of Service and Remembrance will be held on Saturday, January 18 starting at 9:00am. As in the past, there will be projects for a wide variety of interests and skill sets. This year, two projects are off-site and require online sign-up:
- Furniture Moving for Mission of Deeds-strong backs needed here.
- Sort donations at Reading Food Pantry at Old South UMC – sign-ups are filled for this project
The other projects, including some great drop-in options will be done at the First Congregational Church of Reading:
- Preparing Bag Lunches for Lazarus House in Lawrence
- Assembling Bags for children entering Department of Children and Families care
- Making Valentine’s Day Cards for Elders and Shut-ins through Reading Elder/Human Services
- Knitting and Crocheting Hats for newborns (North Shore NICU) and adults in need (Outdoor Church)
- Decorating Cookies for residents of Bread and Roses in Lawrence
- Creating Snack Bags for Reading First Responders
- Making Fleece Scarves and Blankets for Project Linus and the Outdoor Church.
- Creating a Maya Angelou Poster to be displayed at local churches.
Dr. King’s famously said “I have a dream”. We are asking everyone to help our young neighbors have better dreams by donating new pajamas for children involved in DCF. Please bring new pajamas in any size/gender from infant to teenager.
The event will begin at 9:00am with a gathering at the First Congregational Church (park and enter through Town Hall Parking Lot or Sanborn Street). Time commitments for most projects are flexible, although number of participants is limited at some locations. We encourage signing up so that we will know approximately how to plan. However, there will be several flexible activities that can accommodate drop-ins, and anyone can circulate through these. Please sign up at: https://tinyurl.com/2020MLKSignUp. This event is sponsored by ReadingCares and the Reading Clergy Association, with support from the First Congregational Church of Reading and participating organizations. Email info@ReadingCares.org with any questions.
