Day of service planned Monday in honor of MLK Jr.

LYNN – As many as 200 volunteers from Lynn and across the North Shore will come together Monday to jump head first into dozens of different service projects for a Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.”We will answer Dr. King’s call to serve and make a difference in the lives of Lynn residents,” said Mary Trahan, president of the Lynn Community Association and co-chair of the Lynn Coalition. “A resourceful way to meet local needs, volunteer service is a powerful tool that builds strong communities.”This year will mark the third anniversary of the Lynn Coalition for MLK Service Day, a program Trahan said has grown every year.Trahan said there will be projects this year fit for volunteers from age 3 and up. The selection of projects includes painting at the Grand Army of the Republic Museum (GAR), serving lunch at My Brother’s Table, two workshops on becoming a personal “center for non-violent change,” work on the teen room at the Lynn Public Library, collecting food and toiletries at three local groceries – Shaw’s, Stop & Shop and Compare Foods – and Walmart. There will also be sorting and compiling hygiene kits for newcomers to My Brother’s Table and the Lynn Shelter, collecting outerwear for the homeless and a general cleanup at Girls Inc. on High Street.Along with the service projects, there is also a little education available for children on the purpose of the MLK Day of Service, including a short movie and distribution of free books on the life and works of King. Younger participants will also have a chance to create original Valentine’s cards for seniors at Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development and Lynn Senior Center.Anyone interested in volunteering can register online at www.LynnMLKDay.org or through the website, You Generate Volunteers (www.massvolunteers.org). Trahan said all volunteer projects will be completed on the 20th. Sign-in is at Girls Inc., 50 High St., and should be done 15-30 minutes prior to volunteers’ chosen “shift of service.”There will also be a brief orientation and continental breakfast provided for the morning volunteers, and orientation/lunch will be served for afternoon volunteers.