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MLK 2025 Day of Service Spotlight: HeartSmiles and City Youth Matrix

City Youth Matrix founder Aaron Vetter, left, and Heart Smiles founder Joni Holifield, right.
City Youth Matrix founder Aaron Vetter, left, and Heart Smiles founder Joni Holifield, right.

On Monday, Americans will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy with a day of service. For the past several years, Midday has shined a spotlight on a couple of organizations who are on the ground in their communities, centered, as Dr. King said, in the broader concerns of humanity.

This year, we speak to Joni Holifield, founder and executive director of HeartSmiles, and Aaron Vetter, founder and executive director of City Youth Matrix.

Both organizations help young people access opportunities to learn and grow. HeartSmiles works with young people in Baltimore, while City Youth Matrix is based in Frederick County.

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Teria is a Supervising Producer on Midday.
Sam Bermas-Dawes is a producer for Midday.