Siena Blog

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on Monday, January 19th, this year. As always, this important holiday provides students and their families with a great chance to give back to their local community on a national day of service.

Below are some options for students to volunteer time in the DC metropolitan area — either for the MLK holiday weekend or at other times this year.

MLK Day Volunteer Opportunities in the DC Area

DC

• MLK Day of Service – Martha's Table
• MLK Day of Service 2026 - Washington Hebrew Congregation
• Calendar of Events - MLK Holiday DC
• United Way National Capital Area
• Day of Service and Learning — Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center

Maryland

• Montgomery County’s MLK Day of Service & Volunteer Fair and Parks Cleanups
• MLK Day - Montgomery County Volunteer Center
• 2026 MLK Day of Service - Visit Montgomery
• MLK Weekend of Service — Rock Creek Conservancy

Virginia

• 2026 MLK Day of Service - Volunteer Fairfax
• Volunteer Opportunities - Fairfax County
• MLK Day of Service - Volunteer Arlington

You can also visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture website to learn more about Dr. King in historical context. The museum will also be hosting an MLK Day event on January 19 — visit their events page for more information.

Additional Volunteering Options for Students 

Whether students need service learning hours or just want to give back to their local communities, there are plenty year-round options:

• Small Things Matter (serving families in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Rockville, MD)
• Fairfax Youth & Family Volunteering, Montgomery County Volunteer Center, and Volunteer Opportunities in Washington, DC have ample listings for students to explore.
• Girls on the Run Montgomery County and Northern Virginia have opportunities for junior coaches, race volunteers, and more. Fill out the interest form on their website.
• Food accessibility organizations such as DC Capital Area Food Bank, Shepherd’s Table, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, Manna Food Center, and Nourish Now always need volunteers to sort, pack, and distribute food to those experiencing food insecurity.

Resources from Siena’s Blog

See our blog’s Parents and Community section for more posts of interest, including The Benefits of Reading to Dogs and Making Career Possibilities Real for Students.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland (grades 3-4 and 5-12), and Oakton, Virginia (grades 3-12).