SAVE THE WEEK!
Many Helping Hands 365 in partnership with My Brothers Keeper Cambridge and YWCA Cambridge presents...
THE MOSTLY VIRTUAL 2021 MLK WEEK OF SERVICE & LEARNING
Hands-on service and a week of racial and social justice conversations
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the inequality and injustice in our society. But we can still lend our helping hands. And we can work together to make this a day—and even a week—of giving and learning. Join together virtually for hands-on service on MLK Day and a Week of Racial and Social Justice Conversations focused on Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work, legacy and continuing power to challenge and inspire us.
PS. Our WEBSITE is undergoing a major renovation. Please bear with us as we upgrade and make improvements. Thanks so much for your patience!
Please REGISTER for the 2021 MLK Day of Service
When you register you will be offered the choice to sign up for specific events and activities. You will receive an email with all your sign ups, and you will receive a zoom link or more information shortly before each event starts. Be sure to download Zoom in advance and add us to your address book!
If you want to participate as a GROUP in one or more of our hands-on activities , please email us at: info@manyhelpinghands365.org.
The schedule for the week of Jan 18 is still evolving. Additional events will be announced soon!
When you register you WILL be taken to Eventbrite.
You will THEN have the chance to add each individual event or activity during registration.
MONDAY Jan 18
RACIAL JUSTICE CONVERSATIONS
Join in these Zoom conversations to hear from panelists and comment leaders and share your own questions and ideas. You can sign up for as many as you like. Free to all.
An Act of Remembrance with United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Reverend Adam Dyer of First Parish, and spoken word from Tashawn Taylor!
Led by Elijah Booker and Niko Emack of My Brothers Keeper Cambridge.
Join us as we kick-off our week of service and learning.
What’s next? Where do we go from here?
While our national elections are behind us, issues about racial injustice, the pandemic, and ongoing deep political divisions have highlighted that there is much more work to be done.
Join us to begin setting an agenda for the path forward. Our distinguished panel will include a broad range of young community & national activists and leaders including: Issac Yablo, Jordan Pointdexter, Tia Tucker, Malachi Hernandez, Amanda Plaza, among others. Led by Elijah Booker and Niko Emack of My Brothers Keeper Cambridge.
From protest to policy—how can young people take action to make change in their communities? What change do you want to see? Who are the decision makers? How do we accomplish our goals? Arielle Jennings, Executive Director, Generation Citizen Massachusetts, will lead the session with Lowell High School teacher, Jessica Lander and a student activist on action civics and how young people can make change in their community. Led by Generation Citizen Massachusetts. More information soon.
Join us for an End of Day Gathering with My Brothers Keeper to discuss the day, plan for the future, and take a moment of silence and healing for those that we’ve lost to systematic oppression.
HANDS ON SERVICE PROJECTS ON ZOOM
Some of our most popular MLK Day service projects will not be stopped by Covid 19. Stay safe while engaging in creative acts of service for our neighbors.
One of our favorite MLK Day traditions! We are making Valentines for people in our community who can use a bit more love in this fraught time, including elders, homeless adults and veterans in our community and local troops overseas. We will tell you where you can pick up a packet of supplies if needed along with instructions and where to bring your Valentines. ON MLK DAY – you can join a ZOOM with other people making Valentines. We will send the ZOOM information after you sign up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Open to everyone. Led by Many Helping Hands 365.
Another MLK Day favorite! We are making hundreds of fleece scarves and blankets for homeless children, teens and adults in our community. We will tell you where you can pick up a packet with fleece, pins and instructions to design a blanket or scarf and where you can drop off your designed blanket/scarf when you register.
MLK Day of Service volunteer stitchers will stitch your design and we will deliver the blankets and scarves. You can sign up to design a blanket/scarf or to be a stitcher after MLK Day. We will send the ZOOM information after you sign up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Open to everyone. Led by Many Helping Hands 365.
TUESDAY JAN 19
A conversation about women in the civil rights movement then and now.
(NOTE: TIME HAS CHANGED)
On the eve of inaugurating our first female vice president (and first vice president of color), we will remember the women who worked with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to help propel the Civil Rights Movement; and reflect on how far we’ve come since then and where we need to go from here. Moderated by Tania Del Rio, Executive Director, YWCA. Panelists include: Zoe Zelleke, student activist; Dr. Kenvi Phillips, Curator for Race and Ethnicity at Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University; E. Denise Simmons, Cambridge City Councilor. More additions to follow.
WEDNESDAY JAN 20
Led by Many Helping Hands 365.
Come explore the role that house of faith play and have played in the civil rights movement then and now.
More information soon.
THURSDAY JAN 21
Panelists include: Melissa Colon of Tufts University, GA General Assembly Representative El Mahdi-Holly, Chicago Alderman Michael Scott, Jr. Led by My Brothers Keeper Cambridge. 22-CityView, the Municipal Television Channel for the City of Cambridge, and My Brother’s Keeper have partnered to produce and present “The Public Square: Cambridge Conversations” each month featuring local and nationally recognized voices to discuss and debate. More information soon.
Suggested reading: More information soon.
FRIDAY JAN 22
The conversation will be led by A Better Cambridge, Cambridge City Councilor Mayor Marc McGovern, and My Brothers Keeper Cambridge (MBK). Understanding red-lining and housing injustice in Cambridge today., What comes after the Affordable Housing Overlay? How do we do better about ensuring affordable housing Cambridge residents of all incomes? Led by MBK. More information soon.
WEEK-LONG, HANDS-ON, SOCIALLY DISTANCED
SERVICE PROJECTS
Sign up to lend your hands on socially dIstanced service projects during MLK Day week. Led by Many Helping Hands 365.
Lead a Food Drive to collect food to restock 11 food pantries in Cambridge, Somerville and Chelsea. Leaders will collect donations to fill 25 bags with nonperishable items and deliver them to a designated food pantry. We’ll send you complete instructions after you register as a leader.
Lead a Neighborhood Diaper Drive for Pantries in Cambridge, Somerville and Chelsea.
Lead a Diaper Drive to collect disposable diapers. Leaders will collect donations to fill 25 bags with diapers of all sizes and deliver them to a designated pantry. We’ll send you complete instructions after you register as a leader.
Lead a Book Drive to collect books for our partner, More Than Words (MTW), a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Leaders will collect donations to fill 25 bags with books and deliver them to MTW collection bins in Waltham or Boston during MLK Day week.
We’ll send you complete instructions after you register as a leader.
Our 2021 Partners
This year, Many Helping Hands has been thrilled to partner with My Brothers Keeper and the Cambridge YWCA to produce this year’s events.
We encourage you to get to know and support these local organizations.
My Brother’s Keeper is a consortium of concerned community leaders committed to the empowerment and success of young people residing in the City of Cambridge. Learn more.
YWCA Cambridge is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Learn more.
ADDITIONAL MLK DAY AND WEEK EVENTS
Explore these other offerings make it a full week of service and learning. all events are free and open to the public. You must register in advance to receive links. Space for these events may be limited.
WEEK OF JAN 18
THE URGENCY OF CREATING THE BELOVED COMMUNITY!
Each year, The King Center in Atlanta leads the nationwide observance of the national holiday commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year a week of online events have been planned.
Spaces limited. Register for events on their website.
MON JAN 18
1:00-2:00 pm
The MLK Day Parade in Washington DC
This year this popular parade is virtual. Recordings will also be available on Youtube.
SAT. Jan 23
11:00-11:30 AM
A Cambridge Public Library Civil Rights Zoom Read Aloud for Children
For families with children of all ages. Join us from home for stories inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
Offered in partnership with MHH365 and the Cambridge’s MLK Day and Week of Service and Learning.
Space is limited. Register here.