Service Projects Around S. Florida Mark MLK Day
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- The nation paused Monday to remember the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon who would have turned 83 this year.
From Washington D.C. where President Barack Obama marked the holiday with a service project at the Browne Education Campus, to South Florida where more than 400 students remodeled and beautified Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Americans around the country performed service projects to mark the birthday of the slain civil rights leader.
The theme for the National Day of Service is make the holiday a "day on, not a day off."
"When you beautify a school, you're sending a message to students that this is a place to secure your success throughout the future," said Saif Ishoof of City Year, a group that gets middle and high school students serving the community.
The federal holiday to honor King, who was assassinated in April 1968, was first observed in 1986. In 1994, Congress also designated it a National Day of Service.
Students at Miami Northwestern High hammered, painted and landscaped the campus as part of that National Day of Service.
"What we do is unite 17-24 year olds for a year of service as tutors, mentors and role models ," said Ishoof.
Over 100 middle school students also pledged their commitment to one year of service with the group.
"These young people are showing you that service can be a solution and that young people can be part of transforming some of our greatest challenges," said Ishoof.
Most importantly on a day like today Dr Martin Luther King's words "everyone can be great cause every one can serve" can be made real through actual service.
City Year's volunteers serve throughout the year…focusing on the public school system in Miami-Dade.
