It’s easy to get up in the morning and go to work at First Book. I work with a fantastic group of people and I spend most of my day collaborating with amazing nonprofits and government agencies, which in turn leads to connecting their programs and classrooms to First Book’s resources. It’s a win-win. But last Tuesday was not a regular day at the office. I got up bright and early, stood in front of my closet and asked myself, “What do I wear when First Lady Michelle Obama is going to be in the room?” We all know she’s a fashion icon and well – my sister claims I am not. I decided to take the secret service approach and put on the good old black suit. I knew First Book’s stylish Executive Vice President, Chandler Arnold who was going with me would be looking handsome in his shiny suit and I didn’t want to be totally upstaged. I even ironed my blouse. My sister would be proud. You’re probably wondering why I’m talking about my wardrobe and why I would be hanging with the First Lady on a Tuesday. Well…
First Lady Michelle Obama and the Corporation for National and Community Service had an event at a DC recreational center to launch United We Serve: Let’s Read. Let’s Move. This initiative will get more Americans volunteering to combat childhood obesity and summer learning loss among youth. At the event, volunteers packed Healthy Lifestyle Kits as part of the initiative that included activity equipment, healthy snacks, and new books donated by First Book’s publishing partners Random House Children’s Book and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The kits are being distributed to 3,000 children in D.C.
I did manage to blend in with the secret service, which naturally just made me want to talk into my sleeve. I refrained. The secret service look did help me move around the room to lend a helping hand to stuff bags, move boxes and run around as if it was my event for a couple of hours. I had a great time working with Congressional leaders and Americorp members. I even got to hug Congressman John Lewis. I did not hug the First Lady. My secret service friends would not have been happy with me. The First Lady even joined in the fun and was stuffing bags herself. I guess the First Lady got a memo that it was casual Tuesday, because she looked like she walked out of a J Crew catalog. I guess we don’t get the same memos, because as you know I was off to the side blending in, working hard in my black suit.
You might not get to stuff kits with the First Lady in a suit, but there’s a lot that you can do to promote this initiative. Click here to learn more about Let’s Read. Let’s Move.
Martin Luther King devoted his life’s work to causes of equality and social justice. Today, to honor his teachings and legacy, people of all ages and backgrounds work side-by-side in volunteer service projects across the country on Jan 18, as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. Through serving their communities, they are answering the important question “What are you doing for others?” as well as helping create the “Beloved Community” envisioned by him. Large or small, every project, every helping hand, heart and mind make a difference.
In many cases, the meaningful work being done on this day by so many won’t stop at the end of the day. During the next 40 days, thousands of individuals and organizations will be taking part in the 40 Days of Nonviolence: Building the Beloved Community initiative, created by the Corporation for National and Community Service, in 2008, to mark the 40th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. The initiative’s aim is to encourage the development of service activities that extend beyond MLK Day and help create sustainable community changes.
On a related note, through Jen Robinson’s Lights from the Kidlitosphere I learned that Youth Service America is sponsoring Get Ur Good On, a network of blogs that inspire many to action by showcasing the diverse voices of youth who are “doing good” in their communities. There’s nothing like some inspiration from history and one’s peers to get the social activism flowing!
Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the director of Reading Rockets.org: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle. Reading Rockets is one of four multimedia educational websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area.
“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” [Martin Luther King, Jr.]
Hearts and hands will join together across the country on January 18th, a day transformed from a “day off” to a national Day of Service to honor the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 18th is rolling in quickly. It’s not too late to help out on one of the projects your community has planned for that day. You can find an opportunity close to home by visiting Serve.gov, an online resource managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Some ideas are included after the jump. And it’s not too early to start planning a service project for next year: the site also has resources for individuals and organizations, including tips on fundraising, building partnerships, organizing the day, and how to be an effective team leader, as well as a planning toolkit, project examples, and more. Follow MLKDay on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook!
Get Ur Good On? Our partner, Youth Service America, sponsors a lively online network of blogs, photos, and videos that showcase the diverse voices of youth who are “doing good” in their communities. Jump in and join the conversation.
At Reading Rockets, we’ve come up with some reading-writing-and-book-inspired ideas for the Day of Service or for a year-round community project. Here’s our Top 12. Add your ideas to the list!
- Volunteer to tutor a struggling reader (check out our Tips for Reading Tutors)
- Help organize and refresh your local school library
- Teach kids how to safely use the Internet
- Paint a book-inspired mural at your local child care center
- Become a pen pal with a young learner
- Collect gently used books or games like Scrabble for a community center
- Organize a community oral history project
- Lead a story hour for young kids (try these Hints on How to Read Aloud to a Group)
- Plan a read-a-thon for students where number of minutes read equals number of cans of food for your local food bank
- Take a group of kids and a field guide on a naturalist walk at a local park: teach some map reading and do a clean-up along the way!
- Host a community cooking demonstration that engages families in recipe reading and cooking healthy meals
- Organize a penny drive to make grants to local libraries or community organizations that support literacy projects
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, but he was also a doer. Kids can find models for action in life and in books. In this lovely co
