An AmeriCorps program connecting service members and under-resourced communities throughout Washington state
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An AmeriCorps program connecting service members and under-resourced communities throughout Washington state
Each year on the third Monday in January, we pause to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by turning reflection into action. MLK Day is not only a federal holiday—it is a National Day of Service, reminding us that the most powerful way to celebrate Dr. King is by serving others. This year, we continue the tradition of the MLK Day of Service, now in its fourth decade, with renewed commitment to building stronger, more connected communities. Across the nation, millions of Americans will join together to volunteer, demonstrating that service is more than charity—it is citizenship in action. Through service, we uplift those in need, strengthen our neighborhoods, and inspire hope. Together, we move closer to realizing Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community—a society based on justice, equality, and compassion. Let us honor Dr. King not only with words, but with deeds that bring lasting change. Pledge to make a difference this MLK Day!
Below are upcoming MLK Day of Service projects hosted or recommended by Washington Service Corps members, sites, partners, and alumni. If you would like us to add your service project to the list, please submit a Days of Service form. Join us this MLK Day to build a Beloved Community through unity, service, and transformation.
Location: 5047 Gifford Rd SW, Olympia, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Native Plant Salvage Foundation
Project Description: We invite you to join us on Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service as we support a large hedgerow ecological restoration project on a local farm. We will focus on laying weed-blocking cardboard and woodchip mulch around the native shrubs and trees to enhance their long-term growth by conserving water, preventing weeds, and improving soil health.
By participating, you will learn and volunteer at an ecological restoration project that supports native wildlife habitat, protects water resources, and provides agricultural benefits for a local Thurston County farm. This is also an opportunity to learn more about hedgerows and their positive roles on any site.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Yareli Barragan
Contact Person Email: yareli@nativeplantsalvage.org
Other Important Information: This is an all-day event, but you can choose the shift option that works best for your schedule, and/or come and go as you please.
Location: Port Townsend Marine Science Center, 502 Harbor Defense Way, Port Townsend WA 98368
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Port Townsend Marine Science Center
Project Description: Join us for our annual MLK Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 19, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.! Meet at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center museum portico in Fort Worden State Park at 10 am. Address: 502 Harbor Defense Way. We’ll be pulling invasive beachgrass north of the pier by Knapp’s Circle.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending! Register here
Contact Person Name: Gabriella Sewell
Contact Person Email: gsewell@ptmsc.org
Other Important Information: Please dress for the weather. Bring work gloves and shovels/pitchforks/hand tools like small shovels/loppers if you have them. We’ll have some tools to borrow as well. Light snacks and water will be provided. Parking is free at Fort Worden for the day, but carpooling is always encouraged.
Location: Tacoma, WA
Date of Event: January 17th, 2026
Host Organization: Pierce Conservation District
Project Description: Help us honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by enhancing our community green spaces on Saturday, January 17th! Spend 3 hours from 9 AM – Noon building community and improving habitat at Trafton Slope in Tacoma. Volunteer efforts will help support wildlife, pollinators, and water quality by removing invasive vegetation and caring for native plants.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you plan on attending!
Contact Person Name: Kayla Kunimoto
Contact Person Email: TacomaHabitatStewardship@piercecd.org
Other Important Information: We’ll be doing a HUGE planting of native and pollinator-friendly plants. No experience needed, all tools provided!
Location: Puyallup, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Pierce Conservation District
Project Description: Help us honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by building community and improving habitat at one of our local restoration sites. Join us for our Puyallup & Edgewood Restoration Work Parties from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Volunteer efforts will help support wildlife, pollinators, and water quality by removing invasive vegetation and caring for native plants.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Bryan Mohlman
Contact Person Email: BryanM@piercecd.org
Other Important Information: While the exact tasks at hand vary, our projects focus on improving the open spaces, forests, and parks in our local cities.
Location: The Salmon Center, Belfair WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
Project Description: Come join us at The Salmon Center for the 2026 MLK Day of Service! Together, we will be restoring salmon habitat by planting native shrubs and trees and pulling invasive plants.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name:
Contact Person Email: info@pnwsalmoncenter.org
Other Important Information: Be sure to dress for the weather and to wear waterproof shoes. Gloves and tools will be provided, but bringing your own gloves and reusable water bottle is encouraged.
Location: Pass Lake, Anacortes, WA
Date of Event: January 17th, 2026
Host Organization: Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group
Project Description: Join us to help restore the riparian zone in a tributary to Pass Lake on Saturday, January 17, 2026, 9am-Noon in partnership with Deception Pass State Park and Deception Pass Park Foundation, and the Skagit Co-op. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was inspired as a way to encourage Americans to find common causes and ways to improve their communities. In that spirit, we’ll be planting trees in the fields along the shoreline of Pass Lake. Historically, these areas were used for hay production, but in recent years, this practice has ceased due to the growth of buttercups and daisies. The goal of Deception Pass Park is to create a mixed conifer forest around Pass Lake, with the aim of revegetating 19.5 acres of the former hay fields surrounding the lake.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Kelly Williams
Contact Person Email: kwilliams@skagitfisheries.org
Other Important Information: We recommend wearing sturdy, waterproof shoes, as the restoration site requires a 0.7-mile walk to access and may be wet. Tools and gloves will be provided, and hot drinks and sacks provided by the Skagit Co-op Deli. Dress for the weather, as the event will take place rain or shine.
Location: Woodland Park, Seattle, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: YMCA Earth Service Corps
Project Description: Youth (12-18) Habitat Restoration Service Project at Woodland Park, Seattle, WA
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Chelsea Wheeler
Contact Person Email: cwheeer@seattleymca.org
Other Important Information: Event is open to youth in grades 6-12 and registration is required. Contact our program for more information: yesc@seattleymca.org and 206-587-6116 (no texts)
Location: Barney Lake Conservation Area, Mount Vernon
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Skagit Land Trust
Project Description: Please join Skagit Land Trust at our Barney Lake Conservation Area as we build upon many years of restoration efforts! Barney Lake is an essential wintering location for many migratory birds, including the once endangered trumpeter swan, and our continued stewardship of this area will support the success of these prestigious species. Our goal is to plant over 800 native trees this season and we can’t do it without your helping hands! Come to one or come to all of our planting events at Barney Lake. Stay for a Nature Walk with SLT Staff between 12PM-1PM and learn about Barney Lake’s natural history, how the land is being stewarded by both humans and beavers, and how these incredible ecosystem engineers create diverse habitats that benefit birds, fish, and more across the Pacific Northwest.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Stacy Dahl
Contact Person Email: stacyd@skagitlandtrust.org
Other Important Information: Skagit Land Trust staff will welcome the group with an orientation to the site and project tasks. Planting at this location will involve walking on uneven terrain, using shovels, bending, stooping, and kneeling. There are no established restrooms at this worksite.
Location: Squalicum Creek Park, Bellingham
Date of Event: January 17th, 2026
Host Organization: City of Bellingham
Project Description: Join the City of Bellingham, the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), and our community for a volunteer work party on Saturday, January 17th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to restore salmon habitat and water quality at our Willow Spring restoration site in Squalicum Creek Park.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Ryan Robie
Contact Person Email: pkvolunteers@cob.org
Other Important Information: Be sure to register in advance!
Location: North SeaTac Park, SeaTac, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: King Conservation District
Project Description: Spend your MLK Day of Service restoring SeaTac’s most recreated park, North SeaTac Park with KCD’s Green City Forest Steward, Caitlin from 10am-12pm. We will be planting natives, removing nonnative plants, mulching and picking up litter.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Victoria Love
Contact Person Email: victoria.love@kingcd.org
Other Important Information: Tools and snacks will be provided!
Location: Sustainable Renton Community Garden – 11840 148th Ave SE, Renton WA, 98059
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Sustainable Renton
Project Description: Join us anytime between 11am and 3pm! We will be preparing the grounds in our community garden and food forest! Projects include, weeding, mulching, clearing compost bins, and tool labeling. Coffee and light refreshments will be available.
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Max Braun
Contact Person Email: max@sustainablerenton.org
Other Important Information: The event is from 11am – 3pm at our garden behind Celebation Foursquare Church in Renton. Please bring weather-appropriate clothes, a reusable water bottle, and garden gloves if you have them. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be present with a parent or guardian. There is a port-o-potty onsite.
Location: Be’er Sheva Park 8650 55th Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98118
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
Project Description: Join us on this year’s MLK Day of Service for a beach clean-up at Be’er Sheva Park from 10 am – 12 pm! Volunteers will help clean litter and debris on the beach and in the park adjacent. All are welcome to join, and supplies/refreshments will be provided. We are excited to see you there!
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name:
Contact Person Email:
Other Important Information:
Location: Renton, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Seed2Fork
Project Description: Seed2Fork is developing a new community farm that will benefit our neighbors and friends providing them information on methods of growing their own food. Join us in preparing our garden to be ready for 2026 spring planting and growing season. We will be pulling weeds and spreading wood chips in different areas of the farm. Thank you and looking forward to our first growing season at the farm. Bring your family and friends
How to get Involved: Please register here if you’re planning on attending!
Contact Person Name: Edzen Dilag
Contact Person Email: ed2dezignz@hotmail.com
Other Important Information: Please dress warm and comfortable. Please bring gardening gloves and gardening hand tools, garden fork and rake if you have.
Location: 127 Mission St., Wenatchee, WA
Date of Event: January 17th, 2026
Host Organization: Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center
Project Description: Join us from 10 am – 3 pm for a celebration of the rich diversity of our region, featuring live musical performances, crafts, and cultural booths from around the world. This event also features the annual Wenatchee Valley Uplift Awards, which recognizes groups, individuals, or organizations that are making significant contributions to the work of protecting civil rights, promoting social justice, or advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
How to get Involved: Scan our QR code to learn more
Contact Person Name: Shannon Jaynes
Contact Person Email: sjaynes@wvmcc.org
Other Important Information:
Location: Squaxin Park, Olympia, WA
Date of Event: January 17th, 2026
Host Organization: City of Olympia Park Stewardship Program
Project Description: Join the City of Olympia and partners in celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a volunteer service project at Squaxin Park from 10 am – 1 pm. We will restore crucial habitats to their intended state by removing English ivy and spreading wood chips to suppress regrowth.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Jennifer Gessley Gayman
Contact Person Email: jgessley@ci.olympia.wa.us
Other Important Information: Tools, gloves, and light refreshments will be provided. Dress for the weather and wear your boots! We will meet at a small shelter located in the southeast area of the park.
Location: Clear Creek Trail, Silverdale, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Great Peninsula Conservancy
Project Description: Join Great Peninsula Conservancy staff and volunteers from 10 am – 12 pm in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. for a day of service on Clear Creek Trail. Bring your friends and family as we clean and beautify your local urban trail! Our teams will attempt to clean the entire 8-mile trail for a historic day together.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Corryn Zylstra
Contact Person Email: corryn@greatpeninsula.org
Other Important Information: Time/date: Teams will gather at the Ridgetop Pavilion and disperse to different sections of the trail to complete litter pick up. Movement may include bending and walking on uneven surfaces.
Location: 14447 Littlerock Rd. SW, Littlerock, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Center for Natural Lands Management
Project Description: Join us for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service from 10 am – 2 pm. We have a fun opportunity planned for this MLK Jr. Day event this year! Help us clear space at our greenhouse by emptying old plug trays of their dirt to turn into compost. Our nursery greenhouses are where many native plants begin their life, before being out planted into the farm beds or prairie soils. We grow thousands of plugs each winter, and in the growing process not every single plant germinates. The plugs that do not have native plants in them are returned to compost, and we can reuse the planting plugs to grow more this year. This is a very calming, easy task to join us – all we will do is upturn the plugs to empty the soil into a vessel. That’s all! We will work on this together while chatting.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Justine Mischka
Contact Person Email: ssvolunteers@cnlm.org
Other Important Information: Please dress for the weather and bring a boxed lunch, plenty of water, and work gloves. We look forward to seeing you out on the beautiful South Sound prairies.
Location: Fairmount Road, Discovery Bay, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: North Olympic Salmon Coalition
Project Description: Join NOSC on January 19th from 10 am – 2 pm to plant trees and shrubs in Discovery Bay! Are you hoping to spend this Martin Luther King Jr. Day doing something that will have a lasting impact on your local community? Would you like to improve salmon habitat for years to come? Join us as we continue 20 years of restoration work at Discovery Bay. In partnership with the Jefferson Land Trust and Peninsula Trails Coalition, we will gather to vegetate the site of the new Hall Baetz viewpoint with native trees and shrubs.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name:
Contact Person Email:
Other Important Information: Please arrive by 10am for site orientation. We’ll take a break for lunch around noon. A site tour will take place at about 1:30pm. Please bring lunch, water, and layers/footwear you need to be comfortable in our winter weather! Directions will be provided in RSVP confirmation email.
Location: Cascade View Elementary, 13601 32nd Ave S. Tukwila, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: City Year Seattle
Project Description: Each year City Year hosts our biggest service day! Come serve with us on Monday, January 19th from 9 am – 12 pm as we revitalize one of our partner schools, Cascade View Elementary! During this day, volunteers will learn and work together to improve the campus for faculty, staff, and students, furthering Dr. King’s belief that, “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” We will have many projects to participate in! In past MLK Service Days volunteers have painted murals, participated in outdoor projects, organized classrooms, and kids ages 4-11 have specialized youth projects!
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Mckenna Shier
Contact Person Email: Mckenna.Shier@Cityyear.org
Other Important Information: Please utilize neighborhood street parking. Please dress in clothes that you do not mind getting dirty/stained and wear closed-toe shoes. We encourage you to bring a rain jacket in case of rain for outdoor service projects.
Location: 226 East Main Street Pullman, WA
Date of Event: January 19th, 2026
Host Organization: Washington State University
Project Description: Join us on January 19th from 10 am – 12 pm as we bring the WSU campus and Pullman communities together through community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. In partnership with local organizations — including the Whitman Recovery Community Center, Whitman County Humane Society, and Boost Collaborative — this event is dedicated to strengthening connections and building a stronger community for all. Do you like to draw? We need you at WRCC. How do you express powerful words like diversity, inclusion and recovery from trauma or drug addiction? Let’s try doing it through art. You are welcome to join us at Whitman Recovery Community Center in downtown Pullman for a fun and inclusive arts event to express yourself on Martin Luther King Day. You’ll also get a chance to learn about the Recovery Community here in Pullman.
How to get Involved: Register here
Contact Person Name: Amanda Robinson
Contact Person Email: amanda.robinson@wsu.edu
Other Important Information:
