10th Annual Lexington MLK Day of Service

The Town of Lexington will hold its 30th commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with its 10th Annual MLK Day of Service by shepherding our community to take part in assisting those in need. Our objective is to engage and mobilize people of all ages to participate in events and activities to serve others. United in philanthropy under the auspices and sponsorship of Lexington’s Human Rights Committee and the Town Celebrations Committee, our target this year is to serve 2,500+ people through 700+ volunteers.
​To sign up and volunteer, visit lexingtonmlk.org.
Got questions? Email us at [email protected].

Storytelling at Cary Memorial Library
Saturday, January 14, 10:30—11:30 AM

MLK Day Concert – Routes to Freedom: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement
​Sun, January 15, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Follen Church 755 Massachusetts Avenue Lexington, MA 02420

2023 MLK DAY OF SERVICE events

OPENING CEREMONY  9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
​Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA 02421

On our 10th anniversary, please join us for a in-person Commemoration Program and Performance Opening Ceremony. This will be brief with uplifting performances by Lexington literary performer Regie O’Hare Gibson and MLK-inspired Middle School winning essay reading.
Lex Media will record and broadcast the Ceremony.
NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY

 CONVERSATION ON RACE  10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
​​Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA 02421

​This year’s conversation will be around “Moving Beyond Conversation: Dr. Martin Luther King on How Fear Divides Us and What We Can Do About It”. This interactive learning experience will be led by Mia Roberts, Fresh Power, LLC. and Joyce Swagerty, Your Fresh Horse, LLC.   The Special Needs Arts Program (SNAP) Sing Along Chorus will perform to close the program.

MLK DAY UNITY PARADE 12:15 p.m.

No Registration required
Gather by 12:15 p.m. at the Grace Chapel. The Unity walk will start at 12:30 p.m. from Grace Chapel and follow the course through Minuteman Statue (12:45 p.m.), Lexington Battle Green and end at Cary Memorial Hall.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES at a glance

DONATIONS DROP OFF 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
​​Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA 02421

  • Donate non-perishable food items for the Lexington Food Pantry; new toys for girls ages 6-12 for Birthday Wishes; books, DVDs, CDs, video games and other media for More Than Words; gently-worn kids clothing (winter layers for kids preferred), well-preserved used toys for Cradles to Crayons, and monetary donations to keep our] Day of Service impactful and vibrant.
  • Donate gift cards and new winter gear (sleeping bags, blankets, socks, jackets), and public transport Charlie Cards (to help youth get services) for homeless LGBTQ+ youth in Youth On Fire and Boston GLASS

FREE MINDS POETRY 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (Online)

Join Repair the World and fellow volunteers online via Zoom to learn about incarceration, while reading and responding directly to writings by currently incarcerated individuals. Help these people to feel heard and build  connection to community. Adult and mature teen volunteers who have a computer and an internet connection are invited to join this interactive discussion to improve education for those incarcerated today.​

DISMANTlING RACISM IN OUR TOWN
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Online activity)

Many of us want to be antiracist. Oftentimes, antiracism is conceived in ways that are unintentionally excluding of many. We need to ask ourselves when we work toward racial justice, who all are we including? Join us!
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. 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.
​Follow the instructions below to request help that will begin sometime between 2:00pm and 4:00 p.m. on MLK Day 2023. 
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.
CATIE'S CLOSET - Drop off at Lexington Community Center
Drop off New and Gently used clothing and new full-sized toiletries to benefit the local youth. Donations are to be dropped off in the front lobby of the Lexington Community Center by Jan 20, 2023

DONATION SORTING/DELIVERY 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
​​Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA 02421

Food sorting, packaging and composting for children,  youth and families at risk at Food Link, Join volunteers in sorting and packaging food from waste streams like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Wegmans and others to be delivered to over 30 non-profit organizations in Arlington, Lexington, Boston and Lawrence.  Food Link was just awarded the EPA’s Environmental Merit Award in New England.

FLEECE MAKING 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
​​Grace Chapel, 59 Worthen Rd, Lexington, MA 02421

Family-friendly activity making warm fleece items for adult residents at the Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen in Waltham.
​

CARD MAKING (AT HOME)

​Make cards of gratitude at your home to be given to the Veterans at the Bedford VA, active overseas military personnel, the many healthcare workers at Lawrence Community Health Centers, and essential workers in Lexington. Blank cards can be picked up at Lexington Community Center (39 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA) starting Dec. 12, 2022 or requested to be dropped off at your home. 

TEENS HELPING SENIORS 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Teens - Help seniors with small, indoor or outdoor jobs in and around their homes like changing hard to reach light bulbs or batteries in smoke detector, raking leaves, clearing snow from walkways, refilling bird feeders, picking up boxed donations to drop off at Goodwill, donating food items to the Food Pantry and more

Support Lexington MLK Day of Service! We need your help!

Every year we do our best to run as many activities as possible, to help and thank as many underserved and in need families, children, veterans, first-line responders as we can, and to involve as many community member volunteers as we can, but everything we do needs your support. 
  • Can you donate $10-$20 to help us defray the costs of fleece blankets?
  • Can you wear your support by buying a MLK Day of Service T-shirt? T-shirts will be on sale at Grace Chapel on MLK Day!
  • Can you make a donation to help us run the Community Conversation on Race? 
  • Would you like to join the Organizing Team, or have an idea for a service project?

If you can't attend, please make your check payable to the Town of Lexington, with MLK Day of Service in the memo line and mail it to:
Select Board Office
Town of Lexington
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420
Created by Lexington CommUNITY