Athens MLK Day of Service

The 2026 MLK Day of Service will take place on Monday, January 19, 2026. All volunteers are invited to attend our annual kickoff event, which will be held at Lay Park (297 Hoyt Street) from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, with volunteer service at individual sites happening from 10:00 AM to noon.

If you missed the registration window but would still like to volunteer on Monday, please attend our kickoff event (details above) to get registered as a walk-up volunteer.

The Athens MLK Day of Service is an annual celebration in support of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and commitment to service. In 1994, Congress made the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday an official day of service. Athens, Georgia is one of the thousands of cities across the United States that decided to make this "A Day On and Not a Day Off."

The MLK Day of Service Steering Committee is made up of government organizations, private businesses, and Athens area residents. Committee members include Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, Athens-Clarke County Housing and Community Development, Athens-Clarke County People & Belonging, Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services, Athens-Clarke County Police, Athens-Clarke County Communications, Clarke County Sheriff's Office, Athens Community Council on Aging, Athens Land Trust, Clarke County School District, Hull Firm LLC, Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, UGA Office of Service-Learning, and United Way of Northeast Georgia.

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors: W&A Engineering, the Athens Downtown Development Authority, the Athens Housing Authority, and the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department.