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On The Record

AmeriCorps CEO on volunteering on MLK Day and beyond

By Ashley Sterner,
Maureen Harvie
Published January 20, 2025 at 9:47 AM EST
In this Jan. 16, 2020 photo, Nicholas Thomas, left, and Joe Wright, right, prepare school safety signs as part of the AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program at Wayne State University's Center for Urban Studies. Volunteers will post the signs and also help board up vacant houses Monday near a Detroit school as part of an annual project commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and the federal holiday. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)
Corey Williams/AP
/
AP
In this Jan. 16, 2020 photo, Nicholas Thomas, left, and Joe Wright, right, prepare school safety signs as part of the AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program at Wayne State University's Center for Urban Studies. Volunteers will post the signs and also help board up vacant houses Monday near a Detroit school as part of an annual project commemorating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and the federal holiday. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)

Thirty-one years ago, Congress made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a day of service and charged AmeriCorps with leading this effort. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service.

Today, people across all 50 states will dedicate their time to serving their communities, doing things like delivering school supplies to teachers and students, cleaning-up vacant properties, reading to young people, and more. OTR cohost Ashley Sterner discusses this commitment with Michael D. Smith, the CEO of AmeriCorps.

Links:
Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service
The King Center

Tags
On The Record WYPR ProgramsOn the RecordAmeriCorpsDr. Martin Luther King Jr.community
Ashley Sterner
WYPR's Morning Edition news anchor Ashley Sterner serves up the latest Maryland news and weather every weekday morning, delightfully interspersed with the occasional snarky comment.
See stories by Ashley Sterner
Maureen Harvie
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.
See stories by Maureen Harvie