EOCF leadership and facilities staff were joined by the PeaceHealth African American Affinity Group, Black Allies Network Group (BANG), under the leadership of EOCF Board of Director Denise Gideon, System VP Operations Program Integration & Implementation at PeaceHealth for a MLK Day of Service at our St. John’s Early Learning Facility on January 20, 2020. EOCF Board of Directors Jane VanDyke and Mei Taylor also participated in the event. Volunteers performed light cleaning and assembly of new playground structures.
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” The MLK Day of Service is a part of “United We Serve,” the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”
We would like to thank everyone who participated in this “Day on, not a day off” in honor of Dr. King’s legacy. A special thanks to Denise Gideon and BANG for celebrating this special day with EOCF!