Points of Light, Target and the Corporation for National and Community Service to Mobilize 250,000 Americans in Service Projects Across Country During Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Next weekend, more than 250,000 individuals will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through hands-on volunteer projects in hundreds of communities nationwide, thanks to the combined efforts of Points of Light, Target, and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

On Saturday, January 19^th, a day designated by President Barack Obama as a National Day of Service, 10,000 of those volunteers will convene in Washington, D.C. for UNITE America in Service, an event endorsed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. In conjunction with ServeDC, HandsOn Greater D.C. Cares, Volunteer Fairfax, the George Washington University, Community Blueprint and Operation Gratitude, citizens from around the country, as well as active and retired service members and celebrities including DJ MC Lyte, will convene at the D.C. Armory for the largest single-site service project of Inaugural/MLK weekend — assembling 100,000 care kits filled with necessities for deployed U.S. service members, veterans, Wounded Warriors, and first responders.

Volunteers can register for a shift here and can follow this event on Twitter using the hashtag #2013MLKDay.

“Through this signature event in D.C., and in each of our events across the country, we are sending a simple message to all Americans: step up and serve,” said Points of Light CEO Michelle Nunn. “The need is greater than ever. We’ve made tremendous progress over the past 50 years, but much remains unfinished as communities today struggle to find financial and human services, members of our military and their families face hardships at home and abroad, and many families still face the aftermath of significant natural disasters. Everyone can make a difference through volunteer service.”

In his “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for unity, social justice, and opportunity, encouraging Americans to bridge their differences and come together. The volunteer events sponsored by Points of Light, Target, and the Corporation for National and Community Service provide Americans of all backgrounds the opportunity to unite in volunteer service to improve their communities and society at large.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied and advanced the ideals of diversity, equality and service, which are also core values of Target's culture," said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. "By serving the communities where we do business, we honor Dr. King's legacy and his vision of a brighter future for all Americans."

For more information on the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, or to learn more about service events in your own community, visit the Points of Light website or follow Points of Light on Facebook or Twitter.

About Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We put people at the center of change. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,782 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $4 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.

About the Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. CNCS supports Points of Light through grants that are distributed to sub-grantees to mobilize hundreds of thousands around the country in service on MLK Day.