Dunwoody celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in new ways

Dunwoody will honor Martin Luther King, Jr. with a month-long food drive, in addition to the annual Day of Service on January 18, 2021.

Dunwoody, GA – December 30, 2020 – Dunwoody Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Dunwoody-Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a community food drive and volunteer service projects. The “Souper Bowl of Caring” food drive began last week with a kickoff event at #Dunwoody’s Brook Run Park, where 800 pounds of non-perishable food items were collected.

“What a tremendous opportunity to partner with the City of Dunwoody and other community organizations in an effort to stem the tide of food insecurity,” said Jennifer Long, president of the Dunwoody-Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. “We added the food drive to our annual celebration of MLK, Jr. Day due to the pandemic, and we’ve set a goal of collecting 50,000 pounds of food for the Community Assistance Center and Malachi’s Storehouse.”

Collection bins are available throughout Dunwoody until January 18. Bin locations and hours are listed online: www.dunwoodyga.gov/mlkday. The website also provides links to volunteer registrations for Dunwoody’s MLK, Jr. Day of Service on January 18. Registration is required to keep groups small.

“We’re working hard to provide important volunteer opportunities that are safe and socially distanced,” said Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch. “Even in these challenging times, we want to continue our tradition of honoring the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. with community service projects for all ages.”

Volunteer projects include the following (all registration links can be found here):

  • Tree and daffodil planting at Brook Run Park, in coordination with Trees Atlanta and the Daffodil Project. Registration open January 1, 2021.
  • Tree planting, trail maintenance and invasive species removal at the Dunwoody Nature Center.
  • Plaza painting at the Spruill Center for the Arts.​

Taking place on the third Monday in January, the National Day of Service marks the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service. In line with Dr. King’s vision, the annual event is designed to empower individuals, bridge barriers and solve problems and strengthen communities.