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Volunteers Needed for MLK Day of Service

CLC seeks 250 volunteers to help make a difference in Lake County.

In an effort to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the College of Lake County will take part in the MLK National Day of Service on Jan. 21.

For the inaugural event, CLC will organize some 250 local volunteers to work on service projects across Lake County.

“MLK’s vision was for people to come together and work for justice. This is an opportunity for us to accept the challenge of really strengthening our community by working together and embracing diversity,” said Carolyn Brodnicki, service learning and cooperative education coordinator at CLC.

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Volunteers will be working on a variety of community service projects including painting, assembling bookshelves, creating a carnival, playing bingo and more at social service agencies and schools in northeast Lake County.

Some of the sites include Glen Flora Elementary School, Lyon Elementary School, Family First, NICASA and Waukegan Park Place in Waukegan and at Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff.

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Organizers encourage volunteers from family groups, church and youth groups and scouting organizations.

As part of the challenge of CLC's MLK Day of Service, groups will be broken up and assigned to various project sites encouraging people to meet and work with others.

“People tend to stick to what they know. This is a way to get out of your comfort zone and really see others for what they are, and who is living in your community,” said Brodnicki.

Volunteers will gather at the CLC’s Grayslake campus at 9 a.m. for breakfast, a presentation and performance by the Waukegan Baptists Bible Choir and project assignments.

Small groups will head to the job sites and reconvene at CLC later for a pizza lunch and reflection period. There volunteers will have an opportunity to share how their experience relates to Dr. King’s work to promote peace and justice.

“As the need for service continues to grow, today we honor Dr. King by giving back and making an impact on our local communities,” said Sylvia Johnson, director of the CLC Career and Placement Services office.

“Today and throughout the year, we are seeing Americans using the power of service to strengthen their own and each other’s economic security and make a real difference in local communities,” she said.

2012 marks the 26th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, and projects are being organized in all 50 states. They include delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, reading to children, promoting nonviolence and more. 

CLC received a $900 national grant for the local MLK Day of Service. The grant is from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The federal agency that leads the annual MLK Day of Service and engages more than 5 million Americans in service each year through its core programs, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. It leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

To volunteer at CLC’s MLK Day of Service on January 21, register by logging on to their website.

For questions contact Carolyn Brodnicki at (847) 543-2058 or cbrodnicki@clcillinois.edu.

The MLK Day of Service is being organized by CLC Career and Placement Services and a committee of CLC staff and students, with assistance from United Way of Lake County.

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