Welcome to MLK Day of Service 2023
Dr. Martin Luther King during his speech at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 1964.
Dear MLK Day Volunteer,
At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1964, Dr. King passionately and persuasively addressed 15,000 Angelenos on the issues of race relations and human dignity. This year, L.A. Works continues our long tradition of honoring Dr. King’s legacy by welcoming you to take collective action in the fight for food and climate justice. While the root cause is systemic white supremacy, the symptoms are that Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low income people have access to the unhealthiest foods and are bearing a disproportionate impact from climate disruptions.
One-time and short-term volunteer experiences like today's MLK Day of Service events provide a response to urgent community needs. We know they won’t solve LA’s pressing issues. However, when facilitated with equity and education, we have seen how activities like today help volunteers understand more about the larger issues and it is our hope that you continue to serve more often and deeply to address them.
Thank you for your service (and for your flexibility for our last-minute move to a rain plan)!
Most sincerely,
Deborah Brutchey
Executive Director
L.A. Works
Event Overview
Don't miss the Panel Discussion and Kick-Off @ 12:45pm on the 4th floor!
(Limited Space)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Event Map
Vegan Food Festival
Panel discussion - Getting to the Root: Uplifting Unheard Voices in the Climate Movement @ 12:45pm
Nonprofit Fair
Minecraft March on Washington Game Truck
FAVE Family Volunteer Zone
Dig Deeper + More Volunteer Opportunities
Post-Event Survey
Bingo Card
Donate
Thank You Sponsors!
Event Map
Coliseum Level 4:
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Additional Seating Areas
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Stage + VIP Green Room
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Planter Box Build Activity (teal wristbands only)
Vegan Food Festival
HEAD OUTSIDE VIA TUNNEL 6 TO FIND:
Burritos @
...for specialty fries.
...has house-made vegan smash burgers with avocado fries for you to enjoy.
...for some tacos!
TAKE THE ELEVATOR TO FLOOR 4:
...to warm up and to enjoy a full box lunch with veggie wraps, packet of crisps, and a vegan cookie from ->
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...for vegetable Thai Curry or veggie gumbo.
And Eclipse donated some vegan ice cream samples if you are looking for a sweet treat.
Climate Movement Panel Discussion
Click below to learn more about the panelists featured in
Getting to the Root: Uplifting Unheard Voices in the Climate Movement
Genesis Butler
Jamiah Hargins
Gwenna Hunter
Jasmine Leyva
Dr. Michael Mendez
Nonprofit Fair
Click below to learn more about local nonprofit organizations addressing environmental justice and climate action year-round
Minecraft March on Washington
For our third year of this exciting project, we are offering a multi-platform event to reach even more Angelenos for an even greater level of volunteer participation.
Visit the Minecraft Truck just located outside Tunnel 6 to check it out for yourself!
Our choose your own adventure tour experience builds upon the anti-racism movement through an interactive new March on Washington via Minecraft for individuals and families to virtually meet the civil rights heroes of yesterday and today.
During our event last year:
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Attendees and volunteers completed over 520 hours of service
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Over 250 attendees participated in our guided tours
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Over 1,200 viewers tuned in on different streams (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch) that day to watch
Here are some of last year's creations made by our wonderful volunteers!
For 2023, we have added new interactive exhibits including a parkour game, maze, and scavenger hunt to look for seeds used to plant a virtual forest! Along with our theme this year of climate action and environmental racism, new past and present climate activists have been added to talk to around the world.
FAVE Family Zone
F.A.V.E. stands for Families Active in Volunteer Enrichment!
This is a monthly program designed for all families. If you have younger children or even high school students in your household, the monthly FAVE volunteer projects can be done in-person or at home. We always have ways to engage the whole family, even our youngest volunteers, while still making the volunteer experience meaningful for older children, teenagers, and adults.
Click below to learn more about the FAVE Family Zone Project Partners
MLK Day On-Site Projects
Make your own countertop compost container and take action by committing to at least one of the Climate Pledges and then send a postcard (or letter) to friends and/or family to inspire them to join you!
Dig Deeper
When environmental scientists refer to Climate Collapse or Global Heating, they are referring to the human induced warming of the earth through the burning of fossil fuels. This process is perpetuated by industrialization, agriculture, fast fashion and furniture, global trade, and so on. Today we are witnessing the Climate Collapse disproportionately affect people of color globally as most environmental policies can be tied back to racism.
The repercussions of environmental racism have had an adverse effect on Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities:
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Industries in Wilmington and Carson reported emitting almost 1.7 million pounds of toxic air contaminants in 2020 (CalMatters)
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Hispanic communities have a 63.2% greater risk of inhaling nitrogen dioxide than those in non-Hispanic neighborhoods.
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Children (10-18) exposed to elevated levels of pollutants are more likely to develop early onset asthma than those not exposed (McConnell et al., 2002).
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Higher pollutants in the air are associated with respiratory, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurological disorders.
We must do everything we can to reduce our emissions and, on top of that, actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Head over to the Climate Pledge Zone located next to DJ Dave to choose one of the six pledges or make your own so that you can continue to take action in your every day life.
The nonprofit Wild Aid also has some great suggestions on how to reduce our emissions that you can check out here.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
When it comes to planning for disasters, it is important to consider environmental justice issues. In times of disaster, communities of color and low-income communities are often hit the hardest. When preparing for a disaster, understanding the barriers these communities face can help to ensure that they have access to preparedness resources and are able to recover quickly.
Take action by helping vulnerable communities prepare for a disaster!
RAISE YOUR VOICE, TAKE A STAND
Advocate and support organizations that are focused on ensuring California meets its greenhouse gas reduction targets, shifting state transportation spending, advancing sustainable and equitable solutions for the housing crisis, and implementing regional Sustainable Communities Strategies.
Post-Event Survey
Bingo Card
BINGO Winners
Thank you to all the MLK Day of Service attendees who participated in our Bingo raffle!
Those who completed Bingo were entered into a raffle to win one of the following prizes:
· Baggu Bags
· Bee & Butterfly House
· A Folia Collective Plant Kit
· Membership to the Lucas Museum
· Membership to the Natural History Museum
· 1 night stay in a suite at Dream Hollywood
· Four Express Passes to Universal Studios Hollywood providing one-time front-of-line access to every ride and show in the park.
Winners have been chosen by random selection and notified via email.
Thank you for your participation and helping to make this a success! We hope to see you next year!
Please Donate
Thank You to our Generous Sponsors!
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