We are excited to announce PRO-ACT and The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania’s Fourth Annual participation in the city-wide “MLK Day of Service” being held at the Philadelphia Recovery Community Center (PRCC), 1701 W. Lehigh Ave. Philadelphia PA 19132, on Monday, January 19th 2015 from 9 am-1 pm. Come and join over 150 volunteers impacting our community as we clean up the neighborhood and celebrate the memory of Dr. King. MLK Day of service was created to promote year-round volunteerism and civic engagement.
PRO-ACT’s Amends in Action committee has organized this event since 2011, partnering with numerous community agencies including: Ready, Willing & Able, MLK365, Net, MinSec, DBH, Global Citizen, and Philadelphia Streets Dept. This committee is always ready to lend a helping hand in the community to help reduce the sigma of addiction and put a positive face and voice on recovery. Participation in the MLK Day of Service is one of the many ways PRO-ACT volunteers positively impact the community in which the disease of addiction has impacted so greatly.
Each year, participation in this event grows tremendously. In 2011, 85 volunteers from various organizations and the community collected 80 bags of garbage within a 10 block radius from Broad and Lehigh Ave. to 22nd and Lehigh Ave. In 2014, 126 volunteers collected 208 bags. This year we are hoping to make an even greater impact with more volunteers and more garbage bags filled!
In addition to cleaning up the neighborhood, participants enjoy light breakfast refreshments, hot beverages, and a warm lunch. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr had a vision of people of diverse backgrounds interacting on a personal level by encouraging them to share and discuss issues that affect their communities in order to increase racial and cultural understanding and unity. Additional activities such as watching the inauguration ceremony of President Barak Obama, black history trivia games, and reflection of the legacy of Dr. King and the civil rights movement have been included to ensure an enjoyable volunteer experience and to promote unity.
So bring your children, neighbors, co-workers and join PRO-ACT on Monday, January 19th, 2015 and be a part of this nationwide experience. For more information on how you and your organization can get involved contact She-Ria Bethea at 215-223-7700 or John Carlson at 215-923-1661.
MLK Day of Services shows the strength and power of the people to build up a community together and fulfills Dr. King’s vision for a better America.
She-Ria Bethea
Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
