“What are you doing for others,” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said is the world’s most urgent question.
As we observe a day of remembrance for King on Monday, Jan. 21, we should all take a moment and ask ourselves that very question.
In Sedona and the Verde Valley, if you haven’t found a way to help others, you haven’t looked.
From service organizations to task forces to city and town commissions and councils, we receive press releases calling for volunteers on a weekly basis.
The problem isn’t a lack of opportunities to donate your time to help others, but figuring out how to spread it out to all the causes you hold near and dear without running yourself into the ground.
You can help the children by becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, becoming involved in MATForce or coaching a youth sports team.
You can help the elderly by volunteering at a senior center or becoming a caregiver.
You can help animals by adopting a pet or volunteering at an animal shelter.
King worked tirelessly toward helping others and ultimately sacrificed his life in the process.
Selflessly vowing to give to help others in King’s name seems the only appropriate way to honor his memory.
This year, the United States celebrates the 27th anniversary of the federal holiday first observed in 1986.
In 1994, the U.S. Congress designated Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national call to service, and this year the American people are called to action at a time when many are in need.
The day is the only federal holiday observed as a “day on, not a day off,” according to Corporation for National & Community Service.
Join millions of Americans across the country as they remember King’s dream and commitment to service.
After Monday, don’t forget what King stood for or his quest to make our country better. Pick at least one cause and commit to helping others in need.
