Did you know that this year, Philadelphia had the world’s largest Martin Luther King Day of Service? It's not the first time, either. In fact, this city organized the very first King Day of Service in 1996.

That year, not even the worst blizzard in Philadelphia history could stop volunteers from lending a hand - 1000 people turned out to help with dozens of service projects. This year, we had at least 1000 service projects! The 15th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service brought more than 70,000 people together to carry on Dr. King’s legacy.

MANNA and African Daughters of Fine Lineage worked together to feed hundreds of homeless men, women, and children. The Comcast Corporation and Philadelphia Reads partnered up to spread literacy, training volunteers to become reading coaches. The Red Cross and the Crispus Attucks Association hosted a blood drive together. Students from the Perelman Jewish Day School and the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy collaborated for the 9th straight year, making “Dignity Kits” with clothing and toiletries for the needy.

How did you serve?  Send us your stories so we can spread the good news!  Here are some projects that other readers have told us about:

The Interact Club at Cinnaminson High School in New Jersey invited the Red Cross workers to come talk with the students about working in shelters.  The Interact Club also organized an activity where students made care packages and wrote personal greetings for troops overseas.

Kylan Watson, a 2008 National Liberty Museum Young Hero, wrote to tell us about an event at the Nazarene Baptist Church in the Nicetown section of the city. After a presentation by the Philadelphia Police Department about the effects of drug abuse, Kylan participated in a panel discussion about the state of the African-American family.  There was a spirited discussion of generation gaps, single-parent households, and the responsibilities African-Americans have to each other and to society as a whole.

Kylan also mentioned an important point - you don't have to wait for next January to serve your community. We are challenged to serve every day of the year. Want some ideas for a great new service project? Would you like to find a project near you? For all this and a lot more, check out the President's new web site, serve.gov.  And let us know what projects you are working on!