• The purpose of the Martin Luther King Jr.

Day of Service grant funding is to mobilize more Americans to observe the Martin Luther King Jr.

federal holiday as a day of service in communities, to encourage those who serve on this holiday to make a long-term commitment to community service,

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and to bring people together to focus on service to others.

• On the third Monday in January, Americans across the country celebrate this national holiday honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During his lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together as equals to address important community issues.

Service, he realized, was the great equalizer.

As he stated, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”• In recognition of that spirit, Congress in 1994 passed the King Holiday and Service Act.

Since then CNCS, in partnership with the Martin Luther King, Jr.

Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc., has taken the lead in helping to transform the King Holiday into a day of service to meet community needs.

As they have since 1994, thousands of Americans will remember Dr. King by serving in their communities, by making the holiday “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” Service projects will meet a tangible need in the community, such as supporting increased access to college, alleviating hunger, and teaching about nutrition, and these projects may, at the same time, also meet a need of community spirit, such as building a sense of community or mutual responsibility.

All initiatives should serve as a call to service that continues throughout the year.

These service projects will be built on Dr. King’s concepts of strengthening communities, empowering individuals, and bridging barriers.

For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov/MLKNOFA.