by Elie Bekelman

“Everybody can be great,” said the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “because greatness is determined by service.” Luckily for Philadelphia residents, there is ample opportunity for greatness this January.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service this year, Monday, Jan. 19, will include volunteer events throughout the Northwest. Whether focused on the environmental or social justice, residents can find ways to give back to the community and honor King’s public service legacy. There are also a handful of events before and after the official day.

Environmental conservation efforts are plentiful, with Friends of the Wissahickon and the Schuylkill Center hosting service programs to clean up and enrich Philadelphia’s natural areas. Other events will foster productive discussion, such as Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy’s film screening and activists with Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together (GREAT) hosting the group’s 7th Annual Beloved Community Event, which focuses on housing justice.

There also are opportunities to donate items for underserved families, including the Stenton Museum’s Quiltathon, Germantown Friends School’s five community drives, and Swapadelphia’s clothing swap. Whatever your interest, this MLK Day is a chance for public service and action in commemoration of King’s life and work.

SUNDAY, JAN. 18

Germantown Cleanup

In partnership with I Love Thy Hood and other community organizations, Germantown United CDC will hold a community cleanup and garden bed assembly project from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning at 5700 Greene St. The rain date is January 25. Cleaning supplies will be provided, but organizers urge volunteers to bring brooms, pails, and gloves if possible. Free street parking and nearby bus routes 81, 26, 23, and 55 are available. For more information, contact info@germantownunitedcdc.org.

Community Film Series: Sugarcane

As part of the congregation’s MLK Justice Weekend, Unitarian Universalists of Mt. Airy will screen “Sugarcane,” a documentary exploring an investigation into a Native American boarding school, followed by a discussion. The film will begin at 1 p.m. at 6900 Stenton Ave. For more information, visit uumtairy.org/social_justice.php.

MONDAY, JAN. 19

Families at Woodmere

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a family program that invites children and adults to learn, reflect, and create together. Families will learn how Dr. King and others took action for freedom and justice to ensure that all people are treated fairly and equally. The event, which begins at 12:30 p.m., will include storytelling, artmaking and dance. Woodmere is at 9201 Germantown Ave.in Chestnut Hill. For info, visit woodmereartmuseum.org.

Germantown Friends School serves

Germantown Friends School will host a day of discussion, workshops, and community drives from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Workshops include baking apple pies for Whosoever Gospel Mission, making hats and scarves for local missions, assembling toiletry kits for distribution to local organizations, making sandwiches, and more.

Five community drives will run from 9 a.m. to noon; volunteers should drop off donations at the Meetinghouse porch. Donate menstrual products to The Spot Period Hub, winter coats and sneakers to Cradles to Crayons, snack and toiletry kits to Face to Face, children’s books to Reach Out and Read, and adult coats and hoodies to Open Hearts Café. The day will close with Worship Sharing and lunch. Registration is required. For more information, visit germantownfriends.org/community/mlk-day-2026.

MLK Quiltathon

Volunteers will come together from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the “Stitching Together a Legacy” quiltathon at either the Olney Community Collaborative or the historic Stenton Museum. Participants will create warm quilts, which will be distributed to underserved families. Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome to quilt, cut, or sort. For more information, visit stenton.org.

Community clothing swap

Swapadelphia and Face to Face are partnering for a community clothing swap at 123 E. Price St. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring clothes to donate, but no shoes or underwear.

GREAT’s Beloved Community

Germantown Residents for Economic Alternatives Together (GREAT) will host their 7th Annual Dr. King Day Beloved Community Event from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown. The event will include discussion, group activities, and networking to explore housing justice and affordability in Germantown. Free parking is available. For more information and to register, visit greatgtown.org.

FOW cleanup

Volunteers will engage in various service projects from 9 a.m. to noon at Monastery Stables in the Wissahickon, such as litter cleanup and invasive plant removal. FOW will provide tools, and no prior experience is required. Volunteers will meet at 1000 Kitchens Lane. To register, visit fow.org/events. For more information, contact Marisa Miller at miller@fow.org.

Schuylkill nutures nature

The Schuylkill Center offers an environment–focused day of service to protect and support nature and our forest from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Free registration is required. To register, visit schuylkillcenter.org/events. For more information, contact volunteer@schuylkillcenter.org.

Post MLK Day

Book talks

Join award-winning author Sharon G. Flake at Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. for a celebration and signing of Flake’s new book, Hattie Mae Begins Again. Tickets are required. Ticket purchases include a copy of the book. For more information, visit unclebobbies.com/events.

Join New York Times bestselling author Clay Cane at Greene Street Friends School on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. for the celebration and release of his first novel, “Burn Down Master’s House.” Tickets are required. Ticket purchases include a copy of the book. For more information, visit unclebobbies.com/events.