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MLK Day of Service 2026

• Monday, January 19, 2026, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the offices of Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County will be closed.

Observed each year on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday officially designated by Congress as a National Day of Service. It is meant to be a day on, not a day off. The day calls on individuals and organizations to turn Dr. King’s vision into action through service that strengthens communities and creates meaningful change.

Acts of service can take many forms. They might address immediate needs like supporting local food access, improving shared spaces, or assisting seniors. They might also focus on connection and care through mentoring, virtual volunteering, or donating to organizations that support people lacking essential resources. What matters most is the intention to show up for one another.

Service has the power to bring people together across differences, build mutual responsibility, and remind us that our well being is deeply connected. Coretta Scott King once shared that the greatest birthday gift her husband could receive would be people of all backgrounds honoring his legacy through individual acts of kindness in service to others.

Dr. King believed that we are all bound together in a shared destiny, and that what affects one of us ultimately affects us all. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service invites each of us to act on that belief by choosing compassion, responsibility, and care for our communities. Through service, we move closer to the beloved community he envisioned and take part in the work of strengthening the bonds that hold us together.

Resouce: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/article/Dr-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Day-of-Service 

Last updated January 12, 2026