Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia (Virginia Beach)
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia completed their MLK Day of Service project at the Rosemont Boys & Girls Club, building new garden beds so that their youth can begin to learn the essentials of horticulture and gain hands-on experience growing plants and vegetables. They also plan to purchase seeds that will thrive in hardiness Zone 8B, to begin planting in March. 

Communities In Schools of Hampton Roads (Portsmouth)
Volunteers from Sentara and students at Virginia Beach's Williams Elementary gathered to work together on a project inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Volunteers had pre-drawn two murals of Dr. King that students and volunteers painted. Sentara volunteers had also pre-built gardening boxes, which students and volunteers painted and then filled with soil and plants for a school garden. Through this project, Williams Elementary students were able to observe adults volunteering in the community, interact with role models, and see the value of community and community service.

The Doorways (Richmond)
The Doorways provided 50 Welcome Gift Bags to guests that were staying with them during a medical crisis. Their volunteer team from VCU Health Department of Dermatology assembled the bags with necessary toiletries and a few items for comfort. The volunteers also prepared 15 to-go meals for guests to grab as they headed to and from the hospital. This support was crucial to many of our guests as they face hardships due to medical expenses and time away from home. 

Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore (Norfolk)
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 20. Volunteers packed 500 backpacks for their Child Nutrition Program, sorted donated food items, bagged 1,500 pounds of produce, and gave much-needed attention to areas of the warehouse in need of cleaning. Thanks to the mini grant, they were able to provide refreshments for all 60 volunteers, a small token of appreciation for their time and effort.

Foundation for Art and Health (Glen Allen)
On January 27, the Foundation for Art and Health hosted a group of 20 seniors over the age of 62 for a vibrant MLK Senior Paint night at the Arbors on Hull Street. The event provided a creative and engaging space for participants to express themselves through art while celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ultimately fostering creativity and connection.

Kingdom Cathedral (Virginia Beach) 
The Youth Department of Kingdom Cathedral hosted approximately 52 senior citizens for a program including entertainment, games, testimonials, reflections, lunch, and blood pressure/glucose screenings. The event fostered fellowship, connection, and commitment from the seniors and young people. During testimonials and reflections, both generations were able to voice and appreciate their life’s journey.  Conversations and entertainment provided intergenerational enrichment. Throughout the event, friendships developed and one could hear the laughter as the generations interacted.

Pozez Jewish Community Center (Fairfax)
Community members gathered at the Pozez JCC to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Teens, tweens, and adults from many faith traditions and organizations came together to build garden boxes for a shared community garden between the Pozez Jewish Community Center and Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The garden will grow vegetables to benefit Cook for VETS, a nonprofit that provides no-cost meals to veterans experiencing food insecurity. Together, they made 4 garden boxes, including a wheelchair accessible garden box, for community members to grow fresh fruits and vegetables.

R.E.A.L. Girlz (Chester)
R.E.A.L. Girlz hosted a community outreach event, during which twelve stylists provided free hairstyling to local elementary school students. In addition, participants received swag bags filled with hair accessories and positive affirmations. While the girls waited to get their hair done, volunteers and the R.E.A.L Girlz engaged them with coloring pages, created vision boards, and had mini spa treatments. Each girl also received a snack bag during their hairstyling session.

Sylvia’s Sisters (Richmond)
Sylvia’s Sisters teamed up with the Hanover NAACP to host two period kit-packing events in honor of the MLK National Day of Service. The first event took place on January 12 at Bon Air Presbyterian Church in Richmond, where 89 volunteers packed 1,819 pad kits (packages containing pads only). The second event was hosted by the Hanover NAACP on January 20 at First Union Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, where 81 volunteers packed 1,106 mixed kits (packages containing a mixture of pads, tampons, and liners). They also received 2,684 product donations of pads, tampons, liners, leggings, and underwear. (Why leggings and underwear? In addition to period products, they donate clothing items to schools to prevent students from missing class when they bleed through their clothing due to menstruation-related accidents.)

United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg (Richmond)
United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg held their Reading for Resilience volunteer event at the YWCA Richmond’s early learning center “Sprout School.” Volunteers read a children’s book based on Social Emotional Learning best practices, tying each emotion to a different color that the students could then connect to a physical object. Students also decorated their own “Resiliency Bag” and took home one of each item that connected back to the book and their emotions. Volunteers also led children in a deep breathing exercise that connected to the activity.

University of Mary Washington Center for Community Engagement (Fredericksburg)
On Saturday, January 25, the University of Mary Washington Center for Community Engagement hosted the annual MLK Day of Service at the University of Mary Washington. Over 70 students participated, working on 12 projects. During this event, they hosted the Jared Box Project and had 4 students join in on making enrichment boxes for children in Mary Washington Hospital to give them the gift of play. The Jared Box Project is a national organization with the mission to help encourage volunteers to put crafting tools, educational materials, and engaging toys in tubs decorated colorfully to add cheer to children’s days. Working alongside staff from Mary Washington Hospital, they were able to assemble 9 boxes packed with toys, games, and uplifting notes to be delivered to local hospitals.

Visualize and Rize Foundation (King George)
On Saturday, January 18, 26 volunteers joined the Visualize and Rize Foundation to support cleanup of the Auxiliary Building at the historic Ralph Bunche High School site in King George County, Virginia. Personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies were provided to all volunteers and those with electrical experience were tasked with identifying and removing items attached to walls for disposal. A member of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association, who graduated from the school prior to desegregation, was tasked with screening items for possible historical significance. Another volunteer was tasked with screening items possibly containing hazardous materials for alternate proper disposal. All other volunteers removed debris, swept floors, and disassembled old shelving units. The volunteers were also able to hear stories from alumni over their lunch break.

Volunteer Fairfax (Fairfax)
Nearly 400 volunteers gave back to the Northern Virginia community during the 2025 Give Together event hosted by Volunteer Fairfax. The event engaged volunteers in service projects that addressed food insecurity, elder care, family services, housing instability,
emergency management, animal welfare, and more, offering child-friendly activities as well as projects geared more towards teenagers. Together, they made:

• 1,400 STEP (Student Tools for Emergency Planning) kits
• 300 hygiene/care packs with handwritten cards
• 180 teddy bears with encouraging messages for children experiencing trauma
• 300 snowman cups (warm gloves and fruit snacks) for unhoused individuals
• 200 suncatchers for hospitalized children
• 100 pillowcases for active-duty military personnel
• 150 “I Spy Bottles,” a developmental tool for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• 400 bird nesting dispensers
• 100 care packages for hospice residents
• 900 snack bags for Fairfax County school children