Montana – The Governor’s Office of Community Service, members of the Commission on Community Service, and Montana AmeriCorps engaged with local communities this month and put service into action in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Montana AmeriCorps members and community volunteers will unite in service with Americans across the country.
Observed each year on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer in honor the life and legacy of Dr. King. AmeriCorps has been charged with leading this effort for more than a quarter century and remains committed to showing that Americans of different backgrounds and experiences can join together in service to others. Throughout the month of January, service activities across Montana will be conducted in respect of the holiday.
Events include:
• Sidney - On Jan. 26, AmeriCorps members with Montana Public Health Corps will provide a health education session to residents of Crestwood Inn in preparation for garden boxes that will be installed later this spring. The session will teach residents how to utilize vegetables grown in the garden to make healthy, single-serve meals.
• Helena - On Jan. 29, Justice for Montanans AmeriCorps members with Montana Legal Services Association will aid Helena Food Share with an Emergency Snack Pack build that will create special packs of high-calorie food that provides nutrition for people needing quick calories.
Staff from the Governor’s Office of Community Service (GOCS) and Commissioner Kelly Ackerman, Commission on Community Service, spent time with Helena Food Share on Friday, Jan. 12 assisting customers in the pantry, sorting food items, and stocking shelves. That same day, Commissioner Vicki Turner and GOCS Administrative Specialist Anastasia Matheison visited Broadwater Elementary School reading “Martin’s Big Words” to the Lower Montessori 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classroom.
Commissioner Turner, who spent time with students discussing what service means and drawing pictures of a ‘perfect world’ shared, “It was an honor to read with some really smart, curious, and thoughtful students. Seeing how they envision the world after thinking about MLK’s life, and their understanding of what peace looks like. It’s impressive.”
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