The Virginia Service Foundation has announced ten recipients of the 2024 Martin Luther King., Jr, National Day of Service mini-grant program. The Day of Service mini-grant program offers $250 awards to eligible organizations to support service projects that engage community members in volunteerism in recognition of the National Days of Service on 9/11 and MLK Day.

Each year, projects planned for the MLK Day of Service seek to honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life example and to meet important community needs or help addresses systemic issues. We are pleased to share the grantees for the 2024 MLK Day of Service in Virginia:

• Alpha Phi Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (Danville), to support their efforts to clean, organize, and restock the food pantry at the Mary B. Yancey House
• Kids Give Back (Annandale), to support bringing Valentine's joy to senior citizens in low-income communities by delivering meals
• Volunteer Fairfax (Fairfax), to support 600 volunteers in seven projects that support, among other things, public safety, veterans, the critically ill, and the food insecure
• Health Brigade (Richmond), to support efforts to refresh their Mental Health & Wellness lobby area and an adjacent meeting space that is being dedicated in memory of a young man who lost his life to substance use disorder
• Nursing CAP, Inc. (Suffolk), to support the creation and distribution of care packages to provide people experiencing homelessness with essential items such as socks, water bottles, and granola bars, along with inspirational words
• King of Kings Lutheran Church (Fairfax), to support the creation and distribution of "Backpack Buddy" kits on behalf of the Dulles South Food Pantry, provided to local students and families at the end of each week to ensure they have ample and nutritious food over the weekends when they are not at school
• Emory & Henry College, School of Health Sciences (Emory), to support graduate students at the Health Sciences Campus as they engage in service projects throughout Smyth County
• Lindsay Middle School (Hampton) to support the MLK Student Breakfast Empowerment Forum that will teach 25-30 scholars how to come together and have productive discussions about concerns plaguing them
• Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail (Alexandria), to support volunteers who will remove invasive bush honeysuckle from the trail along the banks of the Potomac
• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (Danville), to support AmeriCorps members from Dan River Year and REACH AmeriCorps programs as they make "Recharge" kits to be distributed to veterans at American Legion Post 1097's recognition dinner, with kits including popcorn, candy, bookmarks with MLK quotes, and magnets which were made by AmeriCorps members

To learn more about National Days of Service mini-grants in Virginia, visit the Virginia Service Foundation. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service encourages Americans to volunteer to honor Dr. King's legacy. Through service and volunteerism, we have the power to bring people together, help others stand together against hate, build bridges, heal divides, and create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dreams.

August 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr. King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech. His call for Americans to unite in pursuit of a shared vision of freedom and justice continues to inspire us six decades later to come together in service to ensure every individual is valued, respected, and treated with dignity and compassion. Service to others cuts through those forces that try to divide us.  It gives communities across the nation a way to build bridges and break down barriers and reveal our common humanity.

For nearly 30 years, the impact of MLK Day of Service has increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities where we live, work, and play. This MLK Day of Service, join us in service to strengthen ties to our communities and one another while addressing critical issues that divide us.

Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/MLKDay.