The Town of Lexington will hold its 29th commemoration of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with its 9th annual family-friendly day of volunteer activities supporting the underserved on January 17, 2022. This year, we will host a mostly Virtual Day of Service. Many of our activities will take place live on Zoom so that you can participate safely in your home. We will require you to sign up for each event you wish to participate in so we may send you the Zoom link. All in-person activities will require social distancing and the following of masking guidelines. Our goal this year is to serve 2500+ people through 700+ volunteers and keeping our community safe is our top priority. |
Join Cary Library and The Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) virtually for a unique look at the
songs that inspired marchers during the Civil Rights Movement on Saturday, January 15 at 1:00 pm. Register here. |
MLK DAY EVENTS at a glance
OPENING CEREMONY 9:00am - 9:45amHeld on Zoom, it will feature nationally acclaimed poet, educator, and author Regie O'Hare Gibson, who will perform his newest work, "Perspectives on African-American
Bostonian History and Education"; Lexington Middle School essayists; and the SNAP Sing Along Chorus. MLK DAY UNITY PARADE - 1:00 pmIn person event. We'll gather on the Lexington Green
by the Minuteman Statue at 12:45 and walk in unity down Massachusetts Avenue to Cary Hall (1605 Mass Ave.) We will practice social distancing and follow Covid guidelines. |
CONVERSATION ON RACE 10:00am - 12:00 pmHeld on Zoom, this year's annual conversation
is entitled, "The Purpose of Education - Honoring Dr. King's Legacy with (Racially) Inclusive Curriculum". As a community, we hope to create tangible and actionable anti-racist steps towards a more just and human education system. STORIES OF MLK FROM BU'S ARCHIVES 1:00 - 2:00 pmHeld on Zoom, this interactive
conversation includes a presentation by Mr. Ryan Hendrikson, Boston University's Assistant Director of Manuscripts. |
INTRODUCTION TO DISMANTLING RACISM IN OUR TOWN 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Experience a taste of Dismantling Racism in our Town
via Zoom. This will be an interactive session, offering a sample
of the ongoing learning and action series in Lexington..
via Zoom. This will be an interactive session, offering a sample
of the ongoing learning and action series in Lexington..
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES at a glance
DONATIONS DROP OFF 9:00 am - 3:00 pmDonate items to Lexington Food Pantry, Birthday Wishes, More Than Words, Cradles to Crayons,
Youth on Fire, and Boston GLASS. Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Road, Lexington. FREE MINDS POETRY 2:00 - 4:00 pmHeld on Zoom, join "Repair the World"
to learn about incarceration, while reading and responding directly to writings by currently incarcerated individuals. CATIE'S CLOSET 2:00 - 3:00 pmJoin a youth-focused discussion and charitable
activity via Zoom, in support of Catie's Closet, a local organization dedicated to improving student's school attendance, emotional well-being, grade progression, and graduation rates. |
DONATION SORTING/DELIVERY 8:45 am - 3:45 pmIn person. Volunteers will help us collect
incoming food, clothing, books, and gifts. Sign up to sort items and/or deliver. Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Road, Lexington. FOOD LINK 2:00 - 4:00 pmIn person. Sort, package, and compost food
for at risk children, youth, and families from waste streams like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Wegmans. Food Link, 108 Summer St., Arlington. HELPING SENIORS 2:00 - 4:00 pmIn person. Teens and adults will help seniors with
small jobs around their homes like changing outdoor light bulbs, raking leaves, refilling bird feeders, picking up boxed donations to deliver to Goodwill, etc. |
FLEECE MAKING All DayHome-based, family-friendly activity making
warm fleece items for adult residents at the Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen in Waltham, Bedford Green, and LexRAP (Lexington Refugee Assistance Program). |
CARD MAKING All dayHome-based, family friendly activity hand
crafting 'Thank You' cards for veterans, active military overseas, healthcare workers in the Lawrence Community Health Centers, and all the essential workers in Lexington. Learn more here. |
Attention Lexington Seniors Over Age 60:
Would you like help with indoor or outdoor projects around your home? We can send one to three Lexington teens to your home, for up to one hour, to help you with small, odd jobs. Suitable projects include: changing smoke detector batteries or hard to reach light bulbs, boxing up books or other giveaway items, raking leaves, shoveling snow from walkways, etc. Follow the instructions below to request help that will begin sometime between 2:00pm and 4:00 p.m. on MLK Day 2022. Please note: you provide the materials (batteries, light bulbs, etc.) and the teens will provide the labor. Please specify if the project requires any special work tools (rakes, snow shovels, etc.) that you need volunteers to bring. Note, for help inside the home both seniors and volunteers are required to wear a mask. To SIGN UP for volunteers to come to your home, visit www.lexingtonma.gov/seniors or call 781-698-4851.