Come Together for the Greater Good this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

For over 20 years, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service has encouraged individuals to volunteer their time to improve their communities. As we look ahead to 2017, that spirit of community service can be as a rallying point to heal our differences through a common cause as giving back and strengthening the places where we live, work and play is something we all can agree on.

Here at Dallas YMCA we’re encouraging everyone to use this day as a call to action to get involved—in large or small ways—to make our communities better. 

In our busy day-to-day lives, volunteering can quickly take a back seat to other obligations and priorities. In fact, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, volunteering has seen a decline in the United States; only 24.9 percent of American adults volunteered in 2015, the lowest rate since the government began collecting this data 14 years ago.

Our communities need volunteers to keep them strong. The less people volunteer the more underserved children, families and adults don’t get the help they need to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Also, while the community benefits from a volunteer’s work, the volunteer benefits as well. A recent Gallop poll found that nine out of 10 people said they receive an emotional boost from doing kind things for other people. It’s this kind of emotional boost that will bring us together as a nation. 

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day find a program or organization that is meaningful to you and give them a call. You’ll certainly be glad you did. We’re grateful for every one of our Y volunteers and we hope you’ll join their ranks! 

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the YMCA, stop by your local Y. www.ymcadallas.org/locations.