Here are some Martin Luther King Day of Service events and volunteer opportunities in West Philadelphia. If you’re hosting an event please feel free to add it in the comments section. More events and volunteer opportunities can be found on the MLK Day of Service website.

Friday, Jan. 16:

11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Hope PHL MLK Day Kick-off & Sneaker Drive

4017 Lancaster Avenue

Join Hope PHL’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) for a day of support, resources and community empowerment in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. In partnership with Black Men Run (BMR), Hope PHL’s NAC will also host a Sneaker Drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Please donate new or gently worn sneakers.

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The annual 3rd District Toy Drive is underway and this is a great opportunity to make holidays brighter for local families and children in need. The Office of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents the 3rd District, is accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys through Thursday, Dec. 18. Here’s how you can participate in the drive:

• Bring your donation to the 3rd District Office located at 606 S. 52nd St. or Room 316 at City Hall. Donations are accepted Monday through Thursday during office hours.

• Contribute online via one of the wishlists.

Toy giveaway will take place on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the 3rd District Office (606 S. 52nd St) and families are asked to register by Dec. 19, 12 p.m.. Check out the flyer below for more details.

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Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) has kicked off its annual Holiday Baskets campaign. In collaboration with area churches and other nonprofit organizations, CPN will prepare and distribute food baskets for neighborhood residents in need during the holiday season. As always, to make this campaign successful, CPN is asking for community support.

This year, a suggested donation is $50, which will help feed two families, but any amount is appreciated. Please use this link to submit your donation: https://donorbox.org/cpnholidaybaskets

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As always on #GivingTuesday, we’re encouraging our readers to show their appreciation for West Philly-based non-profit organizations. Throughout the day, we’ll be posting messages from West Philly non-profits in this post and on our social media. Please consider supporting a local cause today with your donation or volunteering. Also, please visit our Civic Life/Neighborhood Resources page where you can find information on many other West Philly non-profits.

Kicks for Kids: Giving Tuesday with HopePHL

Giving Tuesday, which falls on Tuesday, Dec. 2 this year, is a global day of generosity where everyone can give back to their communities through donations, acts of kindness, or spreading awareness. In 2024, more than 50,000 children and youth in Pennsylvania experienced homelessness, with over 10,000 of them right here in Philadelphia. These are not just numbers; they are children whose futures are impacted by housing instability and trauma. HopePHL believes that every child deserves a safe place to call home, and is on a mission to turn these statistics around. Details for participating in Kicks for Kids with HopePHL can be found here.

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The Enterprise Center CDC will host a Turkey and Coat Drive on Friday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Malcolm X Park (51st and Pine) to provide relief to local families in need as they navigate between rising grocery prices, mass layoffs, and cuts to SNAP. The Enterprise Center CDC announced that the drive will support 300 families and will focus on West Philadelphia residents.

Each family will receive a complete Thanksgiving meal kit including a turkey, corn, gravy, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, butter, and cornbread mix. Residents will also have the option of receiving a coat and other winter attire, including a sweatshirt, hat, socks and gloves.

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This Monday, Jan. 20, we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Day. To honor his legacy, special events and volunteer opportunities have been scheduled in West Philadelphia by local groups and organizations.

A street renaming and awards ceremony in honor of Dr. King will take place on Monday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 40th and Lancaster, the exact place where he delivered a historic speech on August 3, 1965. More than 10,000 people came to listen to Dr. King speak on that day. To commemorate this event, a historical marker and a mural were unveiled at the intersection of 40th Street and Lancaster and Haverford Avenues in 2010, but this Monday, community members are invited to celebrate the renaming of the triangle to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Triangle. The ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. and feature the following speakers:

• Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District)
• Jim Brown, community leader who led the effort to rename the street
• Joe Walker, community leader who has been leading the effort to memorialize this site since 2009
• Community leaders, faith leaders, neighbors

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