On Monday, January 17, people across the country will honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. This national day of service – MLK Day – celebrates Dr. King’s life and legacy, and empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”
The Honeycomb Project invites families to reflect on the life and work of Dr. King and discover new ways to carry on his mission with everyday actions:
Activate change from the kitchen table. Honeycomb’s virtual volunteer program, Honeycomb at Home, encourages studying past social justice movements and invites discussions that challenge your point of view. Families can use their voices to make an impact without leaving the house.
Commit to service. In this new year, and particularly around MLK Day, your readers can set a 2022 goal to volunteer as a family. Honeycomb’s schedule of upcoming volunteer opportunities is on their website. Families can, for example, sign up to prepare a home-cooked meal for those staying at a Wicker Park shelter, help protect a nature preserve along the Chicago River, pack and donate boxed meals for a food pantry in Auburn Gresham, or create activity kits for pediatric patients. With more than a dozen projects, there’s something for everyone.
Spread cheer to senior citizens. Create beautiful wall art featuring Chicago’s skyline as a gift for Honeycomb’s senior friends at the CHA building, Lincoln Perry Apartments in Bronzeville. Families can complete this project at home and return their handmade masterpieces to Honeycomb’s office. Interested? Pick up a FREE art kit from Honeycomb, 1030 W. North Ave., Chicago.
In 2021, approximately 3,000 kids and parents from nearly every Chicagoland zip code volunteered with The Honeycomb Project — and in 2022, Honeycomb hopes to engage 5,000 people in volunteerism.