The New Year often brings feelings of positive improvement and change – a new year, a time to focus on living a better life and providing support for those around us. As we make our way through the month of January, it’s important to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a pioneer in the world of positive improvement and change, with the celebration of the MLK Day of Service Monday.

 

For over 20 years, the MLK Day of Service has encouraged individuals to volunteer their time to improve their communities. Here at the Family YMCA we’re encouraging everyone to use this day as a call to action to get involved to make our communities better.

 

Volunteering, regardless if the opportunity is big or small, can make a major impact on those around you, and helps to keep our communities and personal relationships strong. Additionally, volunteering may even help you in achieving your goals, giving you the ability to meet new people, try something new, and gain confidence and skills that can be applied to your personal life. At the same time, your act of volunteering can have the same effect on those you are helping and working with together.

 

Oftentimes, volunteer opportunities benefit those who need it most, including underserved children, families, and adults. In Los Alamos, our youth are benefiting from mentors in our Reach and Rise Youth Mentoring Program, and in sports programs they are learning skills taught by volunteers. A volunteer teaches guitar at our teen center in Española, and we even have volunteer fitness class instructors. The Family YMCA relies on 300 volunteers to do everything from serve on our board to share pets at our Los Alamos Teen Center. Each of our volunteers’ selflessness and willingness to roll up their sleeves to give back helps improve the lives of thousands of kids, adults and families.

 

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