On January 19, Temple University hosted nonprofit Global Citizen’s 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service regional signature project. The morning featured hands-on service activities, children’s programming, a health and wellness fair, and a job fair, running from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“The key to this is that this is much more than a birthday celebration,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to embrace Dr. King’s legacy of civil rights and social justice.”
The opening ceremony included remarks from nine speakers, among them Temple President John Fry, Global Citizen President Todd Bernstein, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Kelly Munson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Independence Blue Cross, setting the tone for a day dedicated to service, equity, and community impact.
Business leaders and politicians took part in a team building competition with the construction of Book Arks a self-standing, free library which will be distributed to underserved Philadelphia communities.
Also taking part in the friendly team building competition was Seth Bluestein – Philadelphia City Commissioners, Kevin J. Bethel. Police Commissioner, Joseph G. Cacchione, MD, CEO of Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University and Keith Leaphart, Chief Health Equity and Community Impact Officer, who was emcee of the building
event, David Vahos, Executive Director of PECO and others.
The gym buzzed with volunteers, attendees, and honored guests, framed by MLK Day banners lining the walls — part of a longstanding collaboration between Mural Arts and Global Citizen that pairs two artists with four Philadelphia-area schools each year to create four original mural panels.
Temple University hosted the event for the first time since 2009, moving it from its longtime home at Girard College to Pearson/McGonigle Hall on Temple’s campus.
Over the past 31 years, more than 2.7 million people have participated in Philadelphia’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service — the largest MLK service day in the nation. Longtime organizer Todd Bernstein said the scale of participation is a clear reflection of the program’s lasting impact on the community.
Thank you to the volunteers and to community-minded organizations like Independence Blue Cross, Jefferson Health, and PECO for their continued investment in service and civic engagement across Philadelphia. It’s a privilege to document these events for them.