Let’s Lift Each Other Up this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
By John Benigni, CEO, Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA
For over 20 years, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (Monday, January 15, 2018) has encouraged individuals to volunteer their time to improve their communities. As we look ahead to 2018, now more than ever that spirit of community service can help heal our differences through a common cause—giving back and strengthening the places where we live, work and play is something we all can agree on.
Here at the Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA we’re encouraging everyone to use this day as a call to action to get involved—in large or small ways—to make our communities better.
In our busy day-to-day lives, volunteering can quickly take a back seat to other obligations and priorities. In fact, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, volunteering has seen a decline in the United States; only 24.9 percent of American adults volunteered in 2015, the lowest rate since the government began collecting this data 14 years ago.
Our communities need volunteers to keep them strong. The less people volunteer the more underserved children, families and adults don’t get the help they need to lead productive and fulfilling lives. At the Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA we rely on volunteers to help coach youth sports, serve on our board of directors, assist at our family fun community events, serve and deliver holiday meals to our neighbors in need, and help at our annual campaign fundraising events. 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 find a program or organization that is meaningful to you and give them a call. You’ll certainly be glad you did. We’re grateful for every one of our Y volunteers and we hope you’ll join their ranks.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Meriden-New Britain-Berlin YMCA, please contact Joan Goodman at the Meriden YMCA at 203.235.6386 x16 or Desiree Agosto at the New Britain YMCA at 860.229.3787.