New Roots Charlottesville celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with our first, outdoors, socially distanced volunteer day of 2021 at New Roots Farm. Nine AmeriCorps service members from the IRC in Charlottesville and Richmond and our partner ReEstablish Richmond enjoyed working outside all day despite the cold weather. They helped fill a large dumpster with old pallets and debris, sheet-mulched behind the storage shed, pulled out old fences, and stored the fencing materials for reuse. New Roots Farm is now in good shape for the coming season!        

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AmeriCorps service members from Charlottesville and Richmond complete a day of service at New Roots Farm in Charlottesville.
Photo: Terry Allan/IRC

“Everyone can be great because everybody can serve” - Dr. King

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, often referred to as MLK Day, is designated as a national day of service, encouraging Americans to serve their communities in a meaningful way. As a civil rights activist, Dr. King recognized the power of service. We honor his legacy by committing to making our community a better place for newcomers and life-long residents alike. As we continue to live through the challenges of the pandemic and face growing calls for social justice, this MLK Day of Service is as important as ever.