NTFB Honors Martin Luther King Jr. During National Day of Service
Volunteers spent time packing and boxing food for their neighbors facing hunger.
Volunteers spent time sorting, packing and boxing food for the 1 in 6 North Texans facing hunger as part of the National Day of Service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on January 19.
NTFB typically hosts volunteer shifts at its Perot Family Campus in Plano each Tuesday through Saturday. As part of MLK Day, the Community Engagement Team also opens service opportunities on the third Monday of each January.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a National Day of Service in 1994 when then President Bill Clinton signed legislation encouraging Americans to make it “a day on, not a day off,” since that is how Martin Luther King Jr. lived.
This year, MLK Day of Service is also the kickoff for an initiative known as America Gives. The project is part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration and is an effort meant to make 2026 the largest year for volunteerism in history.
“Volunteer projects are going to address a wide variety of community issues, so you can see volunteers that are working in food pantries. You could see volunteers that are supporting shelters,” AmeriCorps Project Manager for Volunteer Initiatives Emily Stock shared with Spectrum News.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency that sends volunteers throughout the U.S., also distributed grants to fund volunteer projects on MLK Day. Throughout the year, AmeriCorps estimates around 28% of Americans volunteer with an organization annually.
NTFB is thankful to all the volunteers who give their time on MLK Day, and every day. In our last fiscal year, over 33,000 volunteers gave more than 97,000 hours, which equates to a value of almost $1.5 million.
