Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset Through Service

January 15, 2024

"The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King Jr. (Aug. 28, 1963)

We encourage the SUNY Empire community to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by “cultivating a beloved community mindset through service” — not just on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but all year long.

We’ve put together some online and statewide resources for getting involved in and giving back to your community. We hope you take the time to explore and participate in some of them. For starters, we encourage you to listen to Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. This 17-minute speech might just inspire you to start or renew your commitment to Dr. King’s vision of creating a “Beloved Community.” You can also visit The King Center website at www.thekingcenter.org to learn more about Dr. King’s life and legacy.

We’ve also put together a list of recommended readings, movies, and other resources that encompass everything from racial and social justice and the ongoing struggle for voting rights to equal treatment under the law. Have a recommendation? Let us know at ODEI@sunyempire.edu!

For questions about Empire State University's participation in the National Day of Service, email advancementevents@sunyempire.edu.

For more resources, volunteering opportunities and ways to keep the momentum going throughout the year, visit the NYS MLK Day of Service webpage.

Volunteer Opportunities Near You:

Buffalo Region

• Literacy New York: Literacy New York increases the effectiveness of adult literacy practitioners and the capacity of literacy programs so that adults, families and communities reach their full potential.
• Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor: The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is a nationally and internationally recognized Buffalo neighborhood that serves as the focal point of residents’ and visitors’ experience for learning about Buffalo’s rich African American history through its vibrant neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, unique structures, historical markers, people and institutions, as well as its significant impact on local, national and international history.
• Project Flight: Project Flight is a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting literacy in children and caregivers, through school and family literacy initiatives.
• Push Buffalo: Push Buffalo mobilizes residents to create strong neighborhoods with quality, affordable housing, expand local hiring opportunities, and advance economic justice in Buffalo.
• United Way of Buffalo and Erie County: The United Way works to enhance the health, financial stability, and education of every person in the community.
• YWCA Western New York: YWCA Western New York is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YWCA WNY is active in advocacy efforts and awareness campaigns that advance women’s economic empowerment, advance a work and family agenda, and educate people about ending domestic violence.

Capital Region

• Albany County Crime Victim & Sexual Violence Center: Sexual assault hotline advocates provide crisis intervention, support, information and referrals to survivors of sexual assault on the phone or in Albany County hospitals. All advocates must complete 35 hours of training prior to serving on the hotline.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area: Whether your interest is mentoring, interning, tutoring, providing career guidance, teaching a class, coaching, or simply playing a game of hoops, your volunteer experience at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area is meaningful. Contact Soozey Walensky at swalensky@bgccapitalarea.org.
• Capital City Rescue Mission: Volunteers needed for a variety of programs at the Mission, including tutoring, maintenance, clothing ministry, preparing meals, or volunteering in the free medical clinic. They are in need of Spanish-speaking interpreters who can translate at the clinic on Tuesdays, Thursday evenings, or Fridays. Contact: Hope Smith, Volunteer Coordinator, at vcoordinator@albanymission.com.
• Capital Roots: Support the Veggie Mobile, the Produce Project Urban Farm, Squash Hunger food donation initiative, the Food Hub produce market, and community gardens throughout the Capital Region. Group volunteer projects are available! Email the volunteer coordinator at volunteer@capitalroots.org.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: The Habitat for Humanity ReStore accepts new and used building materials, furniture, appliances, and other home goods, and sells them to raise money to support affordable homeownership. Volunteers needed to move, clean, and organize donated items. Must complete an orientation. Email Volunteer.ReStore@habitatcd.org.
• In Our Own Voices: Variety of volunteer opportunities available to support, strengthen, and advocate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people of color and their communities.
• MLK Saratoga: A community-based organization, is hosting a series of events in Saratoga Springs to honor and celebrate Dr. King and his legacy. Events include discussions with authors, music and art events, and a panel on restorative justice in schools which our colleague Dr. Heather Reynolds helped put together based on her Imperatore Fellowship work on school safety.
• RED (Read Each Day) Bookshelf: The RED Bookshelf is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring children to read. For information about volunteering email volunteers@theredbookshelf.org.
• Things of My Very Own: When a child escapes abuse within their home, they need support to weather the crisis, heal, and move forward. Things of My Very Own, Inc. is a lifeline for children fleeing abuse. From providing basic necessities to teaching life skills that instill confidence and self-worth, our services lift fragile children from a place of harm to one of hope.

Long Island

• Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind: Every volunteer plays an important role in the mission to improve the quality of life for people who are blind, visually impaired or have other special needs.
• Long Island Crisis Center: Long Island Crisis Center provides 24/7, free, high-quality, confidential and non-judgmental programs and services to support and empower Long Islanders at critical times in their lives.

Rochester Region

• EquiCenter: This organization is a premier accredited member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH), and a 501(c)(3) non-profit facility serving those with disabilities, veterans and at-risk youth. Equine-related programs currently offered include therapeutic horseback riding, horsemanship, and Heroes for Horses, a program that uses a variety of equine-related therapies to help war veterans and their families. To get involved, contact Debi Houliares, at dhouliares@equicenterny.org, or call 585-624-7777.
• Foodlink: This Rochester-based nonprofit is dedicated to ending hunger and building healthier communities by addressing the symptoms and root causes of food insecurity. They serve as the hub of the emergency food system across a 10-county service area. Volunteers are needed!
• House of Mercy: House of Mercy serves individuals in need with food, shelter, clothing, and drop-in emergency services. There are volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups.
• Open Door Mission: The Mission feeds the homeless and low-income members of the Rochester community. Volunteer opportunities available for individuals and groups. · Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Rochester Region: Variety of volunteer opportunities available for individuals and groups, including fundraising support.
• Sleep In Heavenly Peace – Rochester Chapter: Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that builds and delivers beds to children, ages 3 - 17 who do not have a bed. The beds are built from scratch with donated supplies and are delivered with mattress(es), sheets, comforter(s) and pillow(s). Contact Donna Ritchie for volunteer opportunities and/or donations donna.ritchie@shpbeds.org.

New York City Region

• • • Art Start: Featuring hip-hop, graphic-design, and fine-arts programs, Art Start targets low-income and homeless youth. Volunteers, many of whom are professional artists, lead classes in their area of expertise, from drumming to short-story writing. Call 800-224-0990 for volunteer opportunities.
    • Brooklyn Public Library: Brooklyn Public Library, the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions, offers thousands of free programs every day for people from all walks of life. For volunteering opportunities, visit www.bklynlibrary.org/support/volunteer.
    • Food Bank for New York City: The city’s largest hunger-relief organization, Food Bank for New York City helps low-income New Yorkers overcome their circumstances and achieve greater independence. Volunteers play a central role in powering Food Bank’s mission. They have virtual and on-site volunteer opportunities,
    • Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County: Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester is the largest builder of Habitat homes in the Northeast. A variety of volunteer opportunities are available for individuals and groups, including working at the ReStore.
    • Henry Street Settlement: This Lower East Side group serves a largely Asian and Hispanic community. Its services include a mental-health clinic, a shelter for battered women, an arts center, and day-care centers. Volunteer as a tutor, a computer programmer, a job coach, or a teacher’s assistant. Call 212-766-9200 to volunteer.
    • International Center: Teach English and American-culture classes at this language-learning center in Chelsea, where students are foreign-born newcomers to New York (a standard commitment is two hours a week for six months). Volunteers are needed for written and conversational instruction. Donations help fund scholarships for the neediest students. Call 212-255-9555 for more information.
    • Robin Hood Foundation: This organization funds more than 100 programs, from food banks to HIV/aids organizations to youth groups. The group’s board covers operating expenses, so all funds donated go straight to those in need.
    • SAGE-Senior Action in a Gay Environment: This organization is dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender senior citizens. Volunteers accompany seniors to medical appointments, shopping trips, and other daily outings, as well as teach classes and keep homebound seniors company.