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MURIEL HOROWITZ, 78 POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK I volunteer in my community all year round, including Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’ve done it all, from collecting supplies to organizing

movements for anti-racist efforts. This year I am organizing a peace vigil. We want to create an opportunity for the community to come together. I just feel like it’s my obligation as a

human being to serve. In the last 15 years since I retired, I’ve increased the amount of volunteering I’ve done. My Jewish faith tells me I need to do this. I also think about being a model

for my grandchildren and for the people in my community. You’re never too old to give back in whatever way you can. We need to care for one another. Those of us who have more can give more,

and those of us who don’t have as much can help in small ways. There are so many ways to get involved. The more you give back, the more you get back. I really feel that I get so much. I’ve

met people in communities I wouldn’t have otherwise met. A few years ago I helped build homes in Nicaragua. It’s just expanded my world. So I really encourage people to give back. You’ll be

a better person and hopefully contribute to a better world. CHERYL DAVIDSON, 63 VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA I’ve volunteered for as long as I can remember. When I was in high school we used to

go to nursing homes to serve. Once you start, you can’t stop. The past few years I’ve been an organizer and helped disseminate information to my networks about what’s happening on Martin

Luther King Jr. Day. I also participate in the annual march. Service is my calling. It’s a passion that I have and I enjoy it. Especially as a minority, I feel like I’m doing something for

my people and I just want to make a difference for us. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is important. It took us a while to get that day, so I want to celebrate it. It’s not just a Black holiday.

It’s a day for everyone. Especially with all the political tensions — all the dislike and the hate — we should use this day to take a step back and reflect on what we can do to make a

difference. TERI STEINBERG, 66 HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS I am the chair of an event that we hold here citywide. It’s a day of service to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. We have

speeches; drop boxes for clothes, supplies and medical goods; and we work with the homeless, battered women’s shelters and the Rotary Club, among others. As far back as I can remember, I was

always raising money for the less fortunate. It just seems like there’s a disconnect right now with the “all about me” attitude that’s so prevalent in our society. I don’t know if it’s a

generational thing or if it’s from the political climate, but I was raised to do whatever I can for those in need. Little acts of kindness and paying it forward. I want to see more of that.

Not just at Christmas, but I want to see it all year. I serve because I believe it’s my job. My mother taught me to make this world a better place. She used to say, “If you can’t be a tree

on the top of the hill, be a bush, but be the best little bush you can be.” So everywhere I see injustice, no matter what, I feel compelled to act. It’s just who I am. It’s just the way I

roll. FIND WAYS TO VOLUNTEER ON MLK DAY If you’re look for either virtual or in-person opportunities to be of service to your community, visit these sites: VolunteerMatch, a nonprofit, can

help you locate community service in your area