The City of Chattanooga has rescheduled the annual MLK Day of Service to April 4-6 after inclement winter weather forced the cancellation of the event scheduled to take place on Jan. 15. The annual service day is dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and mission to serve the community.
“Government is and should be the problem solver of last resort. Initiatives outside of City Hall often leave our community in a better place than the ones written in policy or code,” said Mayor Tim Kelly.
“I’m thrilled that our city’s dedication to carrying on Dr. King’s legacy won’t be deterred by the winter weather that disrupted the event back in January - because Dr. King’s determination to serve and advocate for the public wouldn’t have been either.”
This is the 12th year the City of Chattanooga, and UTC have organized the MLK Day of Service. Past projects have included neighborhood cleanups, flower- and tree-planting and school improvement initiatives. This year, the event will be focused on celebrating public works employees - for whom Dr. King was advocating in Memphis when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. This year’s commemoration will feature a special address from Roshonda Woods, the first female and the first African American to serve as Chattanooga’s Solid Waste manager.
“Dr. King’s work continues on through all of us - his leadership opened the door for me to be able to serve the city I love,” said Ms. Woods. “Serving our city in the capacity that I do is an awesome responsibility and continuing the legacy that Dr. King leaves behind is something that I don’t take lightly. I look forward to our annual MLK Day of Service where we can celebrate Dr. King’s life and mission with intention and direction.”
Organizations can register service projects and sign up to volunteer at
cha.city/MLK. Organizations who submitted project proposals for the January event will not need to submit another proposal. A full schedule of events will be published at a later date.
For additional information, contact Vanessa A. Jackson at vjackson@chattanooga.gov.