Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” From Jan. 12-20, more than 700 people across Duval, Clay and Nassau counties came together to serve.

Our biggest-ever MLK Week of Service included volunteer projects, events and community dialogues addressing economic mobility and needs in underserved communities while uplifting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of unity. Service projects included home repairs, community park and garden enhancements, neighborhood building improvements, United Way RealSense canvassing, Born Learning Trail installations and much more.

Led by United Way of Northeast Florida, the City of Jacksonville and AmeriCorps in addition to a generous donation from TECO Gas and JEA, the week brought together families, friends, corporate teams and partners for an incredible week of selfless acts of kindness and service. MLK Week of Service also served as the first large-scale event of the year that recognizes and celebrates United Way of Northeast Florida’s 100th anniversary.

Here are some impressive numbers that illustrate the week’s impact:

• 745 volunteers
• 2,665 hours of service
• 112 MLK Week of Service opening rally attendees
• 30 projects
• 30 partner organizations
• 10 businesses spruced up on the Eastside
• 8 neighborhoods helped (Northside, New Town, Historic Eastside, Arlington, North Riverside, Green Cove Springs, Orange Park and Fernandina Beach)
• 6 food giveaways served 1,500 families (Nassau County, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Eastside, New Town and North Riverside)
• 4 roadways beautified (A. Philip Randolph Boulevard on the Eastside and Crystal, Broward and Forest streets in North Riverside)
• 3 houses painted

Nearly 40% of Northeast Florida households struggle to make ends meet, which is often caused by systemic barriers to economic mobility and a cycle of generational poverty.

United Way of Northeast Florida, the City of Jacksonville and AmeriCorps believe the power of volunteerism and critical community dialogue can begin to break down these barriers and serve as a catalyst for community change.

Thank you to all volunteers, sponsors and partners for making our biggest-ever MLK Week of Service such a success. If you would like to deepen your impact from MLK Week of Service and further help the neighborhoods where you volunteered, make a donation to our GoFundMe supporting home repairs in North Riverside and Out East. Your gift will shorten the waiting list and allow more individuals and families the chance to live in safer and more energy-efficient homes.

In addition, United Way’s Volunteer Hub offers volunteer projects all year long for groups, individuals, families, churches, corporate teams and more. Find your next project at unitedwaynefl.org/volunteer. We look forward to seeing you again soon!