Every year on MLK Day, City Year Chicago commemorates the civil rights movement and honors Dr. Martin Luther King's life and work by celebrating his birthday as a "day ON, not a day off." It is important now, more than ever, to answer the call to serve and carry on the legacy of Dr. King on this special day.

Due to COVID-19, this vital day of service requires a creative approach in a mostly virtual landscape to ensure we continue providing impactful service to our students, schools, and communities. Our Day of Service will be conducted in three unique ways. City Year AmeriCorps Members will distribute laptops to students at three of our partner schools to assist in eliminating the digital divide. Virtually, our AmeriCorps members will participate in a School Mural Project from the safety of their own homes. Lastly, a school supply drive in partnership with Salesforce, Wintrust, Starbucks, The Chicago Sky, Hinshaw Law, and Clark Construction is being held to assist our elementary school students as they prepare to re-enter the classroom.

We invite you to join us for our virtual MLK Day Opening Program. Several city, county, and state dignitaries will be in attendance to help us launch this powerful day of service.

Please be sure to RSVP by 5:00pm, Thursday, January 14, 2021to receive your entry code for the actual event on the 18th.

If you would like to contribute to our school supply drive between January 6th to January 14th, you can order items from our Amazon Wishlist using the following link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/27A4GGD5BSJ5Q/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex.

Questions? Contact Brian Foster, Managing Director of External Affairs and Communications, at bfoster2@cityyear.org.

City Year Chicago MLK Day of Service Opening Program 2021