City Cast DC logo
Display ad for Primary and Special Elections; June 16, 2026

Local Civics: Where To Volunteer This MLK Day

Posted on January 11, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

MLK Jr. Memorial on the Tidal Basin.

MLK Jr. Memorial on the Tidal Basin. (jpellgen (@1105_jp)/Flickr)

City Cast

Chinatown Task Force, New Speeding Crackdown, and MLK Day of Service

00:00:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming up on Jan. 15. It might be a day off, but it’s also a great time to make a social impact. We talked with local nonprofit NEST4US about where to volunteer this MLK Day and added a few ideas of our own.

Volunteers at this community event can choose between various service projects like organizing notes of kindness, grocery bags, brunch bags, and gratitude bags.

When: 12-2 p.m.

Location: Damascus, MD

Help the National Park Service remove invasive plants on beloved local trails.

When: 10 a.m. -12 p.m.

Location: Teddy Roosevelt Island

Join Open Crumb’s Breadcoin team for the day! Volunteers will pass out breadcoins – which work like gift certificates at participating food vendors – and educate the community on how to use them.

When: 12 - 2 p.m.

Location: Anacostia

Volunteer trash cleanup along the Anacostia.

Volunteer trash cleanup along the Anacostia. (Chesapeake Bay Program/Flickr)

Head to the waterfront for Anacostia Riverkeepers’ annual MLK Day of Service cleanup. Bring your boots!

When: 9:30 or 11:30 a.m.

Location: Greenway

Join local non-profit NEST4US as volunteers pick up donations and drop them off at various DMV shelters and food banks.

When: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Location: Damascus, MD

If you don’t get MLK Day off but want to volunteer, this opportunity is the day before. Help local nonprofit DC Central Kitchen prepare and distribute food to combat hunger in the District.

When: 9 a.m., Jan. 14

Location: Navy Yard

For more DMV service opportunities, check out AmeriCorps, Volunteer Arlington, and Volunteer Alexandria for ideas!

Share article

Hey DC

Get smart about D.C. with our news roundup and analysis.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.
Display ad for Primary and Special Elections; June 16, 2026

Local Civics

See All
Local CivicsApril 13

Why the Holocaust Museum Self-Censored Before Trump Even Asked

The Holocaust Museum has been quietly changing its content since President Trump returned to office to avoid drawing the administration’s...

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (ajay_suresh/Wikimedia Commons)
Local CivicsMarch 25

Malcolm X Park Closure Sparks Community Outcry

Most of Malcolm X Park is closing until early summer for repairs. Here is everything we know so you can plan your picnic in peace.

Enjoying the park before it closes. (Kaela Cote-Stemmermann/City Cast DC)
Local CivicsMarch 16

In Controversial Move, FBI Sends New Grads to Patrol DC

The FBI just announced that it's sending its upcoming agent class from Quantico to do a 60-day foot patrol rotation in D.C. alongside loc...

FBI officers seen walking in LeDroit Park. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Local CivicsMarch 9

The McMillan Development Is Finally Here — Will It Live Up To the Hype?

For more than a decade the McMillan filtration site was one of D.C.’s ugliest political battles. Now, the redevelopment is here, but will...

A new housing development at the old McMillan site in Washington, DC (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Local CivicsFebruary 26

The Downfall of DC's Compass Coffee

Last week, British coffee chain Caffè Nero bought Compass Coffee at auction after it went bankrupt.

Outside of a Compass Coffee at 650 F. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Local CivicsFebruary 5

Jeff Bezos Gutted the Washington Post. Now What?

The Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, laid off up to a third of its staff.

Washington Post building located on K Street NW. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Local CivicsFebruary 2

Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Son Also Wanted Her to Retire

D.C.’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton announced last week that she’s not going to run again.

Eleanor Holmes Norton speaks during a press conference about the deployment of the National Guard. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Local CivicsJanuary 29

Can the Kennedy Center Survive Trump?

This week, Composer Philip Glass, a 2018 Kennedy Center honoree renowned for his pioneering contributions to modern music, announced he n...

US President Donald Trump sits at the center of a long table and presides over a board meeting at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2025. He is surrounded by five people on each side.

The latest in DC

DC PoliticsJune 10

When Will D.C. Know Its Next Mayor? Later Than You Might Think.

Here’s what else you need to know about ranked choice voting.

People cast their votes at an early voting site at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on November 03, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
DC PoliticsJune 10

Voter Guide: The Delegate Race

City Cast DC sent questionnaires to each candidate asking about their campaign platforms and what they see as top priorities for the city.

A polling station in D.C. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
DC's BestJune 9

The Best World Cup Parties and Deals in DC

An ultimate guide to World Cup viewing and partying in D.C., including the best bars by country.

World Cup watch party at the Brazilian embassy. (Getty Images/The Washington Post)
DC PoliticsJune 9

Voter Guide: The D.C. Mayor's Race

City Cast DC sent questionnaires to each Democratic candidate asking about their campaign platforms and what they see as top priorities f...

People cast their votes at an early voting site at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Nov. 3, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Local NewsJune 8

Heavy Nostalgia at Heavy Metal Parking Lot’s 40th Anniversary

A Judas Priest concert at the old Capital Centre. Youthful debauchery in the parking lot. 40 years later, a sold out screening celebrates...

Filmmaker John Heyn brings out a Judas Priest banner at the 40th anniversary screening of Heavy Metal Parking Lot at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Heyn was joined by several people featured in the documentary. (Photo by Elana Gordon for City Cast DC)
Local NewsJune 5

Man Who Plotted with Au Pair to Kill Wife, Stranger Sentenced to Life in Prison

Brendan Banfield was found guilty earlier this year of plotting with the family’s au pair to stab his wife and shoot a stranger he’d plan...

Brendan Banfield (Fairfax County Police Department)
Food and DrinkJune 4

'The Custodian' Explores the Life of Washington Football's Biggest Superfan

This documentary short premiering at DC/DOX Festival explores a Washington Football fan's 57-year quest to preserve the team's history wh...

Samu Qureshi sitting in old stadium seats in his Washington Football Team Museum. (Courtesy of “The Custodian” team)
DC's BestJune 3

A Local’s Guide To America 250 in Washington D.C.

From exploring historic ships to dancing to local tunes, celebrate America’s birthday like a real Washingtonian.

Party at the National Gallery of Art (Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art)