Repair the World Leads MLK Day of Service
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Repair the World Leads MLK Day of Service

A national organization that mobilizes Jews to volunteer is coordinating the Atlanta Jewish community’s Day of Service Jan. 20 on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Eric Robbins said camp is where he learned about leadership, friendship and hardship, and he draws upon that every day.
Eric Robbins said camp is where he learned about leadership, friendship and hardship, and he draws upon that every day.

A national organization that mobilizes Jews to volunteer is coordinating the Atlanta Jewish community’s Day of Service Jan. 20 on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

This year’s MLK Day of Service in honor of the civil rights leader is being coordinated by Repair the World, which launched its eighth community site in Atlanta in 2018. The organization creates opportunities to show up in solidarity, deepen learning and live out the Jewish value of tikkun olam – repairing the world.

More than 700 volunteers and 18 Jewish organizations will join with 12 service partners, including many in the Jewish community, to honor Dr. King and his legacy Jan. 20. Some of the #ActNow projects include: building a walking trail at The William Breman Jewish Home and reading with seniors there, karaoke with seniors at Berman Commons, and creating a Holocaust memorial with The Daffodil Project at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody.

“As we celebrate the proud history of the civil rights movement in our city, we can’t forget that today Atlanta has the highest income inequality in the country,” said Eric Robbins, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

“Atlanta is so alive with the talent and ingenuity of the diverse people that live here. On MLK Day, we can find each other and reflect on the unique contribution each of us can make. Service translates our hope into action. And with collective action, we come closer to Dr. King’s vision of racial equity, economic justice and peace,” Robbins said.

The Federation is among organizations that have committed to making Jan. 20 a day “on,” not a day off, according to a press release about the event.

“We’re excited that our long-time commitment to service on MLK Day is now being spearheaded by Repair the World through Federation Innovation’s PROPEL grant,” Robbins said. “Federation is here to care for, connect, and strengthen our Jewish community, and we can’t think of a better way to accomplish that than by serving together. Giving generously of your time, resources and abilities always brings people together.”

In its inaugural year in Atlanta the Repair team met with more than 60 community-based organizations, engaged more than 600 participants and facilitated 55 programs on food justice, education and housing and homelessness in the city.

There are more than 700 volunteer slots available during MLK weekend for the Day of Service with opportunities for community members 4 years old and up. Projects take place across metro Atlanta, including Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, Lindbergh, Buckhead, Westside, West End and Grant Park. Volunteers will visit with seniors, prepare meals for those facing food insecurity, clean up local green spaces and provide hygiene items to local shelters, among other efforts.

To sign up for a service opportunity, visit werepair.org/mlk-day/?city=atlanta.

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