Siena Blog

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“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on Monday January 15th this year, and this 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.

Student Volunteering in the DC Area

• See these events for MLK Day at various Montgomery County parks. Volunteer Arlington and Volunteer Fairfax have a list of opportunities in Northern Virginia. In addition, Montgomery County Parks, Fairfax County Parks, Colvin Run Mill Historic Site, and local parks and recreational facilities often have options for park cleanup and more.
• Montgomery County also has information to register for the annual MLK Day of Service.
• Animal lovers could look into shelters and similar organizations such as Friends of Homeless Animals (Northern Virginia), Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Animal Services & Adoption Center, and Humane Rescue Alliance. The Montgomery County Humane Society has opportunities for group service projects to collect donations for animals. (Note: Animal rescue organizations usually require parent or guardian accompaniment for volunteers under 18. See their websites for specifics.)
• Food accessibility organizations such as DC Capital Area Food Bank, Shepherd’s Table, Martha’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.
• 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.
• Shepherd's Table also always needs volunteers to help sort clothing for their Clothing Closet.
• The Greater DC Diaper Bank has opportunities for families to volunteer in their Silver Spring warehouse. (Remember that Siena is also a drop-off location for the Greater DC Diaper Bank, which always needs baby supplies for local families.)
• A Wider Circle has year-round volunteer opportunities that help high school students to earn SSL hours, as well as ongoing opportunities for students ages 7-13. Small Things Matter also has year-round volunteering needs for food distribution, assembling personal hygiene kits, school supply drives, and much more.

Online Resources for Volunteering

Students and parents could also explore these online resources for additional volunteer opportunities in their area:

• Fairfax Youth & Family Volunteering
• Teen Volunteer Opportunities | Fairfax County Libraries
• Montgomery County Volunteer Center
• Volunteer Opportunities in Washington, DC | TeenLife

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