The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans to demonstrate the value and power of service by answering what Dr. King called life's most persistent question: "What are you doing for others?"
For decades, Dr. King has been an inspiration for millions around the world through his leadership of the Civil Rights Movement and nonviolent protests that helped African Americans secure all the rights promised by the nation's founding fathers. His life is a bright and shining example that one person can truly make a difference and change the course of history.
For more than 20 years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has led the effort to ensure that the MLK Day is more than just another federal holiday. For millions of Americans, the holiday has become "a day on, not a day off" as they volunteer to honor Dr. King's legacy through service across the nation.
The national service family - AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund - is proud of the role we have to create avenues for service and inspire millions of Americans to volunteer in their communities all year long. There are more than 345,000 national service participants serving at more than 60,000 locations doing the work to tackle some of the most-pressing challenges facing our country.
Through initiatives that improve education, strengthen health care, and improve financial literacy, we are expanding economic opportunity and addressing some of the issues Dr. King discussed many years ago that still persist today.
Dr. King once said, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." President Obama echoed that sentiment in his final State of the Union address, calling for Americans, "To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us."
I encourage you to accept those challenges to serve those in need, and you can begin on MLK Day.
It is easy to find volunteer projects in your area this holiday weekend. Visit MLKDay.gov and use the search tool there to discover opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in your community.
I hope you join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King by embracing the spirit of service to others, not only today but all year long.
Wendy Spencer is the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve.