Guadagno Calls on New Jerseyans to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a “Day of Service”

Statement as released by Acting Governor Kim Guadagno:

Calling on New Jerseyans to devote Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to helping fellow residents recover and rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, Acting Governor Kim Guadagno today joined members of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission and other guests for the 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton.

“For New Jerseyans, there is probably no more fitting way to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. than by using the day that’s dedicated in his honor to serve and help fellow residents rebuild and recover from Hurricane Sandy,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “In the weeks since Hurricane Sandy struck our state, I have witnessed countless examples of friends, neighbors and complete strangers helping each other following the worst storm to ever strike New Jersey. It is through these individual selfless acts – no matter how large or small they may be – that Dr. King’s spirit of service and kindness lives on.”

This year’s celebration included remarks from Reverend Joshua Rodriguez, pastor of Cityline Church, Jersey City and Reverend Ronald Slaughter, pastor of St. James AME Church, Newark and musical performances by the Trenton Children’s Chorus and the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble. 

Acting Governor Guadagno pointed to several “Day of Service” projects planned for Monday as examples of New Jerseyans continuing to assist each other and honor Dr. King’s legacy.

“In Long Beach, the Paterson Community Service Corps will help clean up and remove debris from homes and surrounding areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. In Toms River, the Jersey Cares volunteers will assist families by clearing out furniture and cabinets, in addition to tearing up wood floors and sheetrock in homes. And in Long Branch, New Jersey AmeriCorps members will gather with the goal of rebuilding one, and perhaps even two, homes devastated by the hurricane.”

“Of course, Monday’s ‘Day of Service’ extends far beyond assisting in Sandy-related projects,” concluded Acting Governor Guadagno. “In Newark, Salvation Army and AmeriCorps volunteers will lead an effort to revitalize a Newark volunteer center.  And here in Trenton, volunteers will gather at a college fair to create ‘college positive’ posters and other promotional materials to display around local high schools.”

Information about “Day of Service” events throughout New Jersey is available at http://mlkday.gov/.  Information about volunteer opportunities throughout the year is available by visiting the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism website at http://www.nj.gov/state/programs/dos_program_volunteerism.html.