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Here's What You Should Do If You Have Monday Off

By:
Martha C. White
3 min read
U.S. President Barack Obama with daughter Sasha and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) participate in a community service project at the D.C Central Kitchen in celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy on January 20, 2014 in Washington, D.C. - Olivier Douliery—Getty Images
U.S. President Barack Obama with daughter Sasha and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) participate in a community service project at the D.C Central Kitchen in celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy on January 20, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Olivier Douliery—Getty Images

You might be thinking of this coming Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as a day off from work. But the government would rather you think beyond just sleeping in: It’s promoting Monday as a day of service when people can pitch in at a charity of their choice to honor Dr. King’s legacy. The Corporation for National and Community Service describes the effort as “a way to transform Dr. King’s life and teachings into community action.” (Despite the word “corporation” in the name, the CNS is a federal agency that runs service and outreach programs like Americorps.)

MLK Day is the only national holiday that’s also a national day of service. The joint designation came about two decades ago, an acknowledgement of King’s mission for racial equality and helping the less fortunate, as well as the fraught history of the civil rights leader’s legacy. His birthday wasn’t recognized as a holiday until 1983, and even that was in the face of fierce opposition. (In fact, three states in the union—Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi—jointly honor King and Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, on the third Monday of January.)

By framing what might otherwise be a Monday when you get to skip your commute as a “day on, not a day off,” CNS hopes to jump-start America’s involvement in community service. Its website has a list of projects and places all over the country where people can volunteer on Monday, many of which focus on helping the poor, military families, or victims of natural disasters. Last year, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club in Washington, D.C.

Ultimately, community leaders hope at least some of us will go beyond looking at Monday as just a one-off day of volunteerism. “People don’t realize how expensive it is … to train and orient a new volunteer,” explained Eileen Heisman, CEO of the National Philanthropic Trust, one of the organizers behind #GivingTuesday.

That's why efforts to promote service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day also emphasize using the day as a catalyst for Americans to start participating in more regular involvement in charitable or service work. Even if you’re busy (and who isn’t?), you don’t need a major time commitment to make getting involved worthwhile. According to Heisman, you can make a difference just by putting in as little as four days a year.

So why not start now?

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