On Monday, January 20th, 2020, Up2Us Sports staff and coaches in Chicago, Miami, New Orleans and Seattle participated in the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) MLK Day of Service. In 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service and, fittingly, charged CNCS with leading this effort. It is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” It also falls in January, which is recognized as National Mentoring Month, led by MENTOR.

Our Up2Us Coach program is funded by CNCS’s AmeriCorps program, so it was only fitting that our service members took this day of service and dedicated it in Dr. King’s honor.

CHICAGO

Our Up2Us Sports staff and coaches in Chicago teamed up with City Year for their MLK day of service activity. Hundreds of AmeriCorps members, including our own Serve Illinois service members, spent the day transforming and beautifying Nathaniel Dett Elementary School with murals, painting, and light construction projects in an effort to reconnect, transform, uplift, and inspire the students, staff, and community.

MIAMI

This year in Miami, our Up2Us Sports staff and AmeriCorps coaches participated in the Branches Lakeview 2nd Annual "United We Stand" MLK Day of Service. Branches, an urban and social justice agency focused on providing life-changing opportunities to help working families and their children break the cycle of generational poverty, organized a day to beautify Lakeview Elementary School. Service projects included activities such as painting, mulching, pressure cleaning, and general clean-up.

NEW ORLEANS

In New Orleans, Up2Us Sports staff and coaches partnered with ReNew Schaumburg Elementary School to beautify the school grounds. Staff and our Volunteer Louisiana AmeriCorps members painted and completed various gardening projects in hopes of inspiring students, teachers, and staff at the school.

SEATTLE

Our Seattle staff and Serve Washington AmeriCorps coaches teamed up with United Way of KIng County and Green Seattle Partnership on of their MLK Day of Service projects. Volunteers spread mulch around new plants and trees at the East Duwamish Greenbelt in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.