Governor McCrory Proclaims January 21 as "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day" | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

Urges North Carolinians to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Through Service to the Community

    RALEIGH, N.C.      Today, Governor Pat McCrory signed a proclamation declaring January 21, 2013 as "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day" in North Carolina, urging all citizens to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service to their communities. Additionally, the governor's office announced more than 280 participants in ten N.C. AmeriCorps programs will recruit an additional 240 volunteers to engage in service activities within their communities and educate others about Dr. King's legacy.

    NC Literacy Corps (Orange County): Participants will lead the 10K Books for Kids Book drive hosted by Book Harvest, a local nonprofit that increases the number of books in homes of low income children. They will help receive, sort and deliver book donations, as well as lead activities for children who are at the event. Contact Megan McCurley at (919) 843-4494.

    Black Child Development Institute, Spirit of Excellence (Guilford County): The Volunteer Center of Greensboro, in partnership with Guilford County Schools and local colleges and universities, will host an event at Four Seasons Town Center mall. Service projects will include a food drive and creating thank you cards for members of the military and veterans. Activities for children will be provided by The African American Atelier and Black Child Development. Contact Karen Thompson at (336) 230-2138.

    Partnership for Children, AmeriCorps and Children Together (Stokes County): Participants will initiate and coordinate a food drive and deliver donations to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC in Winston-Salem. Contact Katie Snow at (336) 985-2676.

    Servant Center's Partnership to End Homelessness (Guilford County): Participants will prepare chili to be served outside the Central Branch of the Greensboro Public Library. The Salvation Army's Disaster Relief Vehicle will be used at the feeding site. Contact Julie Silverman at (336) 707-6109.

    Capital Area Workforce Development, Access JobLink (Wake County): Participants will assist with numerous warehouse activities at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. They will help sort food donations and assess the quality of donated foods. Contact Ashley Reams at (919) 664-7965.

    UNC-G Center for New North Carolinians, AmeriCorps Cross Cultural Education Service System (Guilford County): Participants will tour the Greensboro Historical Museum and learn of the city's rich history during the Civil Rights movement. They will help the Museum's Education Department clean and organize its educational "Traveling Trunks," which are made available to teachers for classroom use. Participants will also help clean and organize costumes and museum exhibits. Contact Cynthia Mejia at (336) 256-1375.

    Children First of Buncombe County, Project POWER: Participants will organize historic stations based on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Along with other community volunteers, they will guide youth through stations focused on non-violent and peaceful protest, banner making and educational and historic centers. Contact Chrissy Sibley at (828) 259-9717.

    ECU College of Education, Project HEART (Pitt County): Participants will assist with warehouse activities at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Greenville. They will help sort food donations and assess the quality of donated foods. Contact Betty Beacham at (252) 328-1849 .

    Carolina College Advising Corps (Forsyth County): In Winston-Salem, participants will guide youth through "service" stations and participate in educational activities focused on the themes of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. They will also have a reading station, where youth will be read stories and given two books. Contact Donte McGuire at (919) 962-1429.

    NC ElderCare Assistants Program (Gaston County): Participants in Gastonia will collaborate with the BREAD Inc. Food Bank to hold a yard sale. All proceeds will be used to support the Food Bank. Contact Bob Hewson at (404) 936-0934.

    The N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, a division within the Office of the Governor, currently provides federal grant funding to 11 AmeriCorps programs in North Carolina. For more information about AmeriCorps, visit www.volunteernc.org or phone 1-(800) 820-4483 (TTY: 1-877-877-1765).

    Click here to view and download the proclamation.

    Contact: Ricky Diaz    ricky.diaz@nc.gov