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Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. With a Day of Service in Lafayette

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 17

January 13, 2022

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described a “fierce urgency of now” when he spoke at the March on Washington in 1963. Now, nearly 60 years later, his words have renewed meaning. They remind us we are stronger when we march forward, together.

In recognition of Dr. King’s legacy of service and leadership to gain equality for all Americans, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a national day of service in 1994. AmeriCorps leads the effort each year.

Observed each year on the third Monday in January — which falls on Jan. 17 in 2022 — the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. Since its inception, MLK Day of Service has grown and its impact has increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role to make communities better. 






Serving on MLK Day can be an entry point for ongoing volunteer effort and help build connections that strengthen communities. Through service we can build more equitable and just communities to underpin racial equity, expand civic opportunities, and foster respect for individual differences — all great lessons for our children. 

With that in mind, here are 4 family-friendly service opportunities in Lafayette:

Do you know of a family-friendly or kid-friendly volunteer opportunity not listed here? Please reach out to jenniferer@macaronikid.com and we'll add it to our list!

Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food and support to 700+ community partners and programs across 23 parishes. Our staff and volunteers distribute the equivalent of more than 32 million meals to 210,000+ people a year. We rely on volunteers to accomplish our goals. Click on our hyperlinked name above to learn more and register to volunteer. 

Moncus Park 

Interested in helping out at Moncus Park? Join us Tuesday, January 18th, from 9:00AM-12:00PM! Activities include mulching the iris beds around our lake! Click on our hyperlinked name to learn more and register to volunteer. 

Catholic Charities of Acadiana 

Our current volunteer opportunities include assisting kitchen staff in food preparation through St Joseph Diner. This is an exciting invitation to help bring real relief to many who are experiencing hunger. Click on our hyperlinked name for more information and to register to volunteer. 

New Hope Community Development of Acadiana 

New Hope Community Development of Acadiana has great opportunities for tutoring young children. Click on our hyperlinked name for more information and to register to volunteer. 


How kids can help ... from home

Want more ideas on how to give back to your community that you can do from home? Here are some age-appropriate ideas you can do from home:

Kindergarten - 2nd Grades

  • Make cards or pictures for nursing home residents locally or find letter requests here! 
  • Fill Little Free Libraries or Little Free Pantries
  • Package care bags for people without housing or otherwise in need
  • Collect old towels and blankets and deliver to an animal shelter

3rd - 5th Grades

6th Grade and Up

  • Participate in charity walks or runs
  • Foster a pet as a family
  • Make and donate masks to local family shelters
  • Start a club at your school that promotes volunteerism throughout the year
  • Initiate a park clean up or beautification project
  • Install a buddy bench at a school

Macaroni Kid can make it super easy for you to find your family fun all year long. Receive a local calendar of family-friendly events each Thursday evening when you SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

You'll be glad you did ... and so will your kids!

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