Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Legacy with The Mission Continues

Veterans and volunteers with The Mission Continues come together each year to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day by participating in meaningful service projects. This year, over 1,050 dedicated volunteers joined service platoons across the country, taking part in 40 impactful service projects and contributing more than 4,800 hours of service. In partnership with community-based organizations, these volunteers helped bring Dr. King’s values to life. Through the Martin Luther King Jr Legacy of Service campaign, we turned shared values into action honoring Dr. King’s vision of equality and service. Here is a snapshot of a few service projects that took place during the month of January!

DFW Platoon

DFW Platoon hosted a 7th Annual Fish Creek Cleanup Challenge. They had 128 volunteers help remove a grand total of 6,720 pounds of trash. Now that is making an impact!

Chicago Platoon

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Chicago Platoon shared the vision of equality and service through their community service project. They met in the historical district of Pullman, starting at Pullman Tech Workshop, a nonprofit and social enterprise that fills the gap in the construction industry through work-based education and community revitalization. Then they headed down the street to the Greenstone United Methodist Church that serves the community as a sanctuary. Project details included painting the interior of the spaces, completing additional interior projects, and addressing leftover tasks from their previous collaboration at Pullman Tech Workshop. 

Orange County Platoon

Unity is not about being the same; it’s about coming together despite our differences. Orange County Platoon united through service to build a better future in their community. Their service project took place at their community garden building additional resources such as a compost station, new tables, and a shade structure.

San Antonio Platoon

San Antonio Platoon honored Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy with an act of service at The Young Women’s Leadership Academy in San Antonio. Tasks included completing a paver pathway from playground to educational garden, spreading new mulch around flower/garden beds, harvesting crops, prepping crop rows for new plants, creating two new pollinator gardens, building shelves for second stage of plant growth, trash pick up, and organization of tools and supplies in field house. Volunteers helped expand the farm and prepped for spring crops, not only saving the community partner labor hours but 3 months of prep work.

#LegacyOfService

The impact of Martin Luther King Jr Legacy of Service was highlighted across various media outlets, showcasing the dedication of volunteers. Articles such as Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. On MLK Day by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership spotlighted local efforts to carry forward Dr. King’s vision, while Mountain View Elementary School MLK Day of Service in The JOLT News Organization highlighted how volunteers had the opportunity to make an impact at their local elementary school. Additionally, KVIA’s coverage of veteran volunteers improving the Boys and Girls Club showcased the direct, meaningful impact these service projects had on local communities, underscoring the continued commitment to Dr. King’s legacy.

A sincere thank you to all veterans, volunteers, and community partners who made the month of January truly an impactful one for our local communities. Check out our volunteer page for upcoming service projects in your local area!