United We Serve

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed the Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.

MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. During the last quarter-century, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.

On Monday, Jan. 16, and the days surrounding, AmeriCorps invites you to:

  • engage with your community and create constructive action;
  • act on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity; and
  • recommit by volunteering to serve others. You can clean up a public space, mentor a young person, or help those who are food insecure.


Together, we can strengthen ties to our communities and one other while we address critical issues that divide us.

The Mission Continues volunteers on MLK Day
Stephen F. Austin State University volunteers on MLK Day
United Way Augusta volunteers on MLK Day
MLK Day volunteers at the Center for Food Action
Hands on Atlanta volunteers on MLK Day
Marietta College volunteers on MLK Day
Marietta College volunteers on MLK Day
A New York Cares volunteer on MLK Day

Find a Volunteer Opportunity

Use the AmeriCorps Volunteer Search, powered by VolunteerMatch, to find an opportunity near you through one of these organizations: AmeriCorps, Idealist, California Volunteers, Catholic Volunteer Network, JustServe, MENTOR, Volunteer.gov (National Park Service), and VolunteerMatch.

Search now

Register a Volunteer Opportunity

Publicize your volunteer opportunities for the MLK National Day of Service by adding them to AmeriCorps Volunteer Search.

  1. To be discoverable in search results for MLK Day, you must use #MLK in the title of the project.
  2. Create a free project listing with one of these organizations: Idealist, JustServe, or VolunteerMatch
  3. That's it, anyone searching for MLK Day volunteer opportunities on our site will see your post.

If your organization hosts volunteer opportunities and would like to promote these opportunities, please contact MLKDay@cns.gov.

Become an MLK Day ChampionMLK Day Champions

Show your support in honoring the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service with AmeriCorps. Champions receive invitations to webinars, early access to national marketing materials, and more.

Become a Champion

Current Champions

MLK Day of Service Resources

Plan ahead for MLK Day 2023. Find self-starter project ideas, toolkits, and more.

Find resources

MLK Day Grantees

For 2023, all grants have been awarded. 

AmeriCorps completed the Fiscal Year 2023 Days of Service grant competition, resulting in 17 awards to organizations based in 11 states and territories across the nation. These 17 grants, totaling $3 million will support both the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service and the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance events across the country that will engage approximately 84,000 community volunteers. Eight grants were awarded to projects supporting the MLK Day of Service. Learn about funding opportunities with AmeriCorps.

2023 Grantees