A NATIONAL RECORD 65,000 VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT A DAY ON NOT A DAY OFF

14th ANNUAL GREATER PHILADELPHIA MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE
SENATOR CASEY JOINS 3,000 VOLUNTEERS AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

Philadelphia, PA – A national record 65,000 people of all ages and backgrounds throughout the Philadelphia region volunteered today in some 900 service projects in the 14th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, according to Todd Bernstein, president of Global Citizen and
founder and director of the Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service. The 2009 Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service is again the largest King Day service event in the nation. Today's turnout adds approximately 5,000 volunteers and 300 projects to last year's record numbers.

The Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service drew some 1,000 participants overall when it began in 1996 and has grown exponentially ever since. The 2009 King Day of Service includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware and is organized through Global Citizen.

The national King Day of Service was created in 1994 through federal legislation co-authored by former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Georgia Congressman John Lewis, both veterans of the Civil Rights movement with Dr. King. The act called for the transformation of the King federal holiday from simply a "day off" into a "day on" of active citizenship and service.

A diverse group of volunteers participated in the King Day of Service, including students from city and suburban, public, private and parochial schools, colleges and universities, AmeriCorps national service members, senior citizens, corporate teams, members of community, civic and religious organizations, elected officials and families.

This year’s King Day of Service gave special recognition to the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama, who called on Americans across the nation to volunteer on King Day. President-elect Obama, Vice-President Biden and their families volunteered in a King Day of Service project in Washington, D.C.

“President-elect Obama issued a new clarion call for active citizenship, beginning on King Day and continuing throughout the year” said Bernstein. “During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama said, ‘I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency.’” “On election night, he reinforced that commitment when he said. ‘So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.”’

Bernstein echoed President-elect Obama’s call by announcing Global Citizen’s new year-round initiative, MLK 365, which will promote sustainable civic engagement and connect volunteers with ongoing service opportunities.

Temple University hosted the area’s signature project with more than 3,000 volunteers. U.S. Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Joe Sestak joined Temple President Ann Weaver Hart, students and people all ages and backgrounds from throughout the region in some 150 projects at Temple’s Liacouras Center.

“We are proud and honored to begin our year-long celebration of Temple University’s 125th anniversary by hosting the signature service project the 14th Annual Martin Luther King Day of Service,” said President Hart. “Community engagement is one of the fundamental principles for Temple. Our faculty, staff and students welcome the thousands from throughout the Greater Philadelphia region to Temple to join us in saluting Dr. King’s legacy.”

Highlighting the projects at Temple, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, HOPE worldwide, and One Day at a Time led volunteers assembling an environmentally-friendly, green playground, including picnic tables and park benches. The playground equipment will be installed near Temple University at the Winchester Recreation Center, located on 15th Street between York and Dauphin. After the King Day of Service, volunteers will create a community garden at the recreation center.

Bown’s ShopRite presented volunteers preparing hundreds of meals and pies with Peachtree and Ward Catering, which were delivered to homeless people assembled outside the Municipal Service Building in a project organized by activist, Sacaree Rhodes. Brown’s ShopRite also donated boxed lunches for all volunteers serving at Temple.

Students from the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy and the Perelman Jewish Day School volunteered together for the eighth straight year by preparing “dignity kits,” which they presented to homeless men and women outside the Municipal Service Building. The kits included toiletries and clothing. Students from Abington Friends School also assembled and distributed Dignity Kits to the same group.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com presented the Digital Fellows program refurbishing computers, which they presented to area young people, along with technical training in an effort to bridge the digital divide.

Sunoco presented a weatherization training for volunteers, who later in the day weatherized near-by houses in North Philadelphia. ARAMARK presented a coat, blanket, and food drive to benefit area non-profit organizations.

Global Citizen and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition presented a MLK 365 Civic Engagement Expo, which provided information on the mission and work of dozens of local community organizations and the opportunity for all volunteers to sign up to volunteer throughout the year.

A Health and Wellness Fair, presented by AmeriChoice and United Health Care, both United Health Group Companies, featured dozens of organizations providing expert advice, testing, and screening in areas including cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, CPR training, nutrition, eating disorders and fitness. AstraZeneca and McNeil Consumer Healthcare were supporting partners in the Health and Wellness Fair.

Target presented the annual Kid’s Carnival for children ages of 5-12, which included a financial literacy project presented by Citi, story reading about Dr. King, I Have A Dream mobile making through the National Constitution Center, testing voting machines, science demonstrations, skits on Dr. King and civil rights, entertainment and more.

In an expanded effort to reach out to include children, the King Day of Service made its coloring and activity book available to help kids learn about Dr. King’s ideals of civil rights and civic responsibilities.

The Free Library of Philadelphia held a library card registration and distributed bookmarkers with suggested readings on Dr. King for children and adults. The City Commissioner’s office helped future voters try out the first responsibility of citizenship in a demonstration of voting booths used in real elections.

A dramatic King Day of Service mural painted by students from eight-area public, private and parochial schools was on display in the Liacouras center, along with the student painted each of the past thirteen years. The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program led the annual mural project, presented by Wachovia, in which each school created a 5’ x 6’ canvas mural interpreting a sentence in a 1957 sermon from Dr. King’s Strength to Love:

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with the disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.”

After completing the murals in December, the panels were attached to form a single, panoramic 48’ x 5’ mural and unveiled at the recent King Day of Service news conference. The mural was on display today at the Liacouras Center. Participating schools and Mural Arts Program artists who worked with the students are (from left to right):

1. Duckery Elementary School, Philadelphia- Felix St Forte
2. Burlington Township Middle School, Burlington County- Eliseo Art Silva
3. Al-Asqa Islamic Academy, Philadelphia- Cathleen Hughes and Harvey Weinreich
4. Conwell Egan High School, Bucks County- David McShane
5. Perelman Jewish Day School/Saligman Middle School, Montgomery County- Parris Stancell
6. Delaware Valley Friends School, Delaware County- Brad Carney
7. A. Russell Knight Elementary School, Camden County- Eliseo Silva
8. Woodlynde School, Chester County- James Burns

Wachovia presented a second Philadelphia Mural Arts Program project, with volunteers painting a mural reflecting the same Strength to Love theme as the students. The mural will be installed at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, where the Mural Arts Program has a longstanding relationship and teaches a mural program to inmates.

A new program, One King Day, One King Book, was launched to encourage children to read, write, and discuss essays about Martin’s Big Words, a children’s book about Dr. King. Children submitting essays will receive a King Day of Service certificate.

In a project presented by the Comcast Foundation, Philadelphia Reads trained volunteers to become ongoing reading coaches, who then read with younger children about Dr. King's life and legacy. PNC presented the After School Activities Program (ASAP) chess mentors training.

There were projects at dozens of Philadelphia public schools and hundreds of other schools throughout the region. “We are proud that our schools, students, staff and parents continue the tradition of participating in America's most successful Martin Luther King Day of Service," said School Reform Commission Chairwoman Sandra Dungee Glenn. “The celebration of Dr. King’s birthday is not just a day for service, but also is an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s life-long commitment to public service, to community and political activism, and to racial and economic justice. Not only is it 'a day on, not a day off,' the 2009 Day of Service has an added emphasis on year-round volunteerism, which truly reflects Dr. King's own life, which was dedicated to the service of mankind."

Volunteers beautified city recreation centers. The Philadelphia Fire Department organized dozens of neighborhood outreach projects on fire safety. Reading coaches and chess and scrabble mentors were trained at area sites and Habitat for Humanity volunteers renovated houses throughout the region. Other King Day volunteers prepared food at homeless shelters and distributed meals to homebound seniors, organized health fairs and legal clinic and performed plays about Dr. King and his principles of nonviolent social change.

Among the 900 projects throughout the region were:
Philadelphia, PA
• City Year AmeriCorps members painting and beautifying the H.A. Brown Elementary School.
• Philadelphia Fire Department Engine 27 with members and children of the Tenth Memorial Baptist Church- fire safety training and smoke detector sign-up program.
• Fishtown Recreation Center- Clean up, repair and painting.
• Germantown Friends School- make cookies and assemble snack bags for Germantown after school programs.
▪ Make and decorate cupcakes for Covenant House, a homeless shelter for young people.
▪ Make collages, banners, and cards and distribute to various homes like Stapeley Manor.
▪ Expression through improvisation on themes of civil rights and understanding.
▪ Sew fleece hat and mittens and distribute to low-income families.
▪ Read and listen to stories about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.
▪ Make sandwiches for low-income families in Germantown.
▪ Sew bibs and wheelchair bags for neighborhood nursing home residents.
▪ View civil rights films and discuss with community.

Montgomery County, PA
• State Representative Josh Shapiro joined volunteers at Highland Elementary School in the Abington School District making care packages for the survivors of domestic abuse.
• Cradles to Crayons with Vanguard sorting and processing product for children in need from birth to 12 years old. Packing orders to distribute to social services partners.
• French International School preparing Valentine cards, decorate puzzles and tote bags for wheelchair-bound at Inglis House. Prepare Daddy Packages provided by the National Fatherhood Initiative and baby items. The Daddy Packs and baby items will be given to new fathers through 2 local obstetrical clinics.
▪ Prepare snack packages for the Ronald McDonald House pediatric oncology hospitality room at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; toiletry packages for parents.
• Har Zion Temple members cooking and packing meals, and preparing snack bags for the elderly. Blood drive. Children`s craft activity. Dog fostering program. Knitting lap blankets. Carnival Fund Raiser for younger children (3-8 years old).
• Pinn Memorial Baptist Church with Congregation Adath Israel. Collect and sort personal care products for men, women and teens in homeless shelters; Red Cross Blood Drive.

Bucks County, PA
• Bux Mont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Renaissance Gardens - Adults and young people visit assisted living facility, serve meals and clean, interview residents about Dr. King, Jr., play games with residents.
• Unami Middle School - Sew quilts and prepare meals for those in need.
• Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth, The Chancellor Center - Food drive and building projects.

Delaware County, PA
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of SE Pennsylvania. Paint mural at Stetser Elementary School. Big’s and Little’s from Big Brothers Big Sisters paint a mural.
• Girl Scouts of Penn Wynne Elementary School, Broomall Rehab & Nursing Center - Penn Wynne Elementary School Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts visit seniors at the Broomall Rehab and Nursing Center,.
• Radnor Middle School students packing breakfasts for seniors with Aid for Friends. Make crafts for the elderly, bead bracelets for the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, pack fire safety bags for the American Red Cross.

Chester County, PA
• Phoenixville Area Community Services- distribute 3/4 of a ton of donated food each week to community members in need. Clean and organize food in emergency pantry.
• Key Club, Westampton, Food Bank of South Jersey- Collect donated food for food bank. Assist Food Bank stocking shelves and organizing boxes for needy families.

Other Projects In Pennsylvania
• American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Day Care in the Park- Read books on Dr. King. Learn about the Red Cross. Make Valentine cards and distribute at several senior facilities.
• Bedford-Cambria Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, RSVP - Collect non-perishable food items for local food banks.
• Crispus Attucks Association-- Volunteers speak and make recording about their memories of the Civil Rights Movement for oral history project. Volunteers prepare and distribute bag lunches to disadvantaged youth. Visit local nursing homes and do activities with the residents. Volunteers from local healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and housing field offer medical screenings and information.
• Milagro House for homeless women with children share their work experience with the residents.

New Jersey Projects
Camden County, NJ
• Highland Regional High School. Painting mural. School wide campus cleanup/beautification.
• Grace Church in Haddonfield. Dinners for New Visions and cleaning out pantry and clothing closet. Clean up, bag 110 grocery bags.

Burlington County, NJ
• Key Club- BCIT- Westampton, Food Bank of South Jersey, Collect donated food for food bank. Stock shelves and organize boxes for needy families.
• Doane Academy, Masonic Home. Students volunteer as aides at nursing home. Transporting patients, filing, paperwork and other tasks. Children from the Flex Program for disadvantaged families playing games in the gym; crafts and lunch.

New Jersey – Other Projects
• Education Works- New Jersey- volunteers collect and sort books. Make books entitled Martin and Me. Store books until Read Across America Day in March, then distribute to children.

Delaware Projects
• Ronald McDonald House of Delaware. Cleaning facility of families of seriously, chronically ill, injured children, Assisting with a mailing and special event preparation.
• State Office of Volunteerism, Food Drive - State Office of Volunteerism Resource Center with potluck luncheon. Cooks and bakers volunteer group of the Delcastle Vocational Technical High School create and donate a birthday cake. Volunteers contribute a favorite dish and watch a commemorative video.

A record forty-eight King Day of Service sponsors was led by Target. “Target is proud to support the 14th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “As a company, we are dedicated to supporting and practicing Dr. King’s values of equality, respect, and service and continue to honor his memory through volunteerism and community giving.”

Joining Target as sponsors were Global Citizen, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, Temple University, Sunoco, Wachovia, AmeriChoice and United Health Care, both United Health Group Companies, Comcast Foundation, AstraZeneca, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com, Brown’s Family ShopRite, League Collegiate Wear, Annie E. Casey Foundation, PNC, Citi, McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, School District of Philadelphia, ARAMARK, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, Cenero, Sneaker Villa, Garfield Refining, Saul Ewing LLP, Independence Blue Cross, Public Financial Management, Vanguard, Prudential, the Philadelphia Housing Authority, GlaxoSmithKline, Peachtree and Ward Catering, PECO Energy, New Courtland Elder Services, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, HOPE worldwide, One Day at a Time, National Constitution Center, Pleasant News, PennSERVE: The Governor’s Office of Citizen Service, City Year, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Salvation Army, American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, High Point Café and Donegan Design.

Organizations interested in becoming sponsors of MLK 365 should contact Todd Bernstein at tbernstein@globalcitizen.us.com or 215.242.9070

The 2009 King Day of Service was chaired by Senator Wofford, Jill Michal, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Jayson Sutton, team leader, Target, Reverend Ellis Washington, president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Ann Weaver Hart, president of Temple University, Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, Leonard Barrack, board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Charles Ramsey, commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, Lloyd Ayers, commissioner of the Philadelphia Fire Department, Reverend Bonnie Camarda, president of Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia, the Honorable Ida Chen, judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Tom Foley, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Governor Mark Schweiker, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Congress and Judge Nelson Diaz, former Philadelphia City Solicitor. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter serve as our honorary chairs.

The King Day of Service included reflection led by City Year AmeriCorps members.
"Dr King said, 'Life's persistent and most urgent question is, what are you doing for others’ and Barack Obama is carrying on that call to service" said Bernstein. "The selfless action of some 65,000 citizen volunteers serving today and continuing throughout the year represents a resounding and affirmative answer to Dr. King, as well as to President-elect Obama’s call for sustained active citizenship."