On MLK Jr. Day, Let’s Show Up — Together
Last updated: January 19, 2026, at 11:41 a.m. PT
Originally published: January 15, 2026, at 2:58 p.m. PT
Join the YMCA of Greater Seattle’s MLK Jr. Day of Service on January 19 at Y locations across the county
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not meant to be observed from a distance. This day invites us to turn core values into action. To move from reflection to service. To practice what it means to be a community, not in theory, but in practice through the ways we show up for one another.
That is why the YMCA of Greater Seattle is inviting our community to join us for our MLK Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 19. Across our Y locations, volunteers will come together on purpose: to strengthen community through service. In several places, we will also serve alongside community partners, because the work is always stronger when we are connected to what our neighbors need and to the organizations leading that work every day.
What service will look like this year
This year’s opportunities are simple, practical, and meaningful. They are designed to make our spaces more welcoming, to support community well-being, and to remind people of the tremendous impact we can have when community cares for community.
Here are a few examples of what volunteers will be doing across our region:
Beautification and cleanup projects at Y locations and nearby trails, including litter pickup and keeping outdoor spaces safe and welcoming at branches like Auburn, Coal Creek, and Dale Turner.
Hygiene kit assembly, with kits delivered to a partner organization for community distribution (Northshore).
Community encouragement card writing, including a partnership with Bellevue Youth Link to write cards for people who may need a little extra encouragement right now (Bellevue).
Other Y locations will host opportunities like writing thank you cards, and some sites will focus on learning and reflection through workshops, teach-ins, and discussions that connect Dr. King’s legacy to ongoing justice movements. Volunteer opportunities vary by location, and the best way to find the right fit is to visit this page and select your branch.
Why this matters and builds on the Y’s story
When we volunteer, we do more than complete a task. We build connection. We create the kind of community where people are seen, supported, and not left to navigate life on their own. We help make dignity and opportunity feel closer, so that support is within reach and belonging is real.
Many of us know what it feels like when life gets heavy, when schedules are packed, when stress is high, or when connection is harder to come by. Choosing to serve is one way we push back against the demands of life and focus on what really matters. Getting involved on MLK Day is one way we remind each other, in a very tangible way, of the importance of caring for community and each other.
This year, that commitment carries special meaning as the YMCA of Greater Seattle celebrates 150 years of serving this region. That milestone matters, not because of the number, but because this milestone represents generations of people who have walked alongside us, enabling our impact to community.
Throughout our history, there are moments that still guide us. In 1966, when Seattle families and teachers organized a boycott to demand desegregation, the Y stepped forward to host a Freedom School for Black students. The Y provided space for education, safety, and dignity at a moment when public systems fell short. That legacy matters and shows what’s possible when we choose action. This moment in our history also reminds us that the Y has been here for this community through hard moments and changing times.
Service is not a one-day statement for the Y. It is how we keep showing up all year.
We see that commitment in programs like our Youth and Social Impact Center, where young adults can find connection and support when life is unstable, and in Washington YMCA Youth and Government, where young people build leadership skills and learn what it means to engage in civic life with responsibility and purpose. These are different expressions of the same idea: community becomes stronger when people are supported, included, and invited to lead.
Join us
If you are looking for a meaningful way to honor Dr. King this year, join us.
Sign up to find shifts at your Y, learn more about partner opportunities, and volunteer for the YMCA of Greater Seattle MLK Jr. Day of Service.
Bring a friend. Bring your family. Come as you are. No special skills required, just a willingness to show up. When we serve side by side, something shifts. We strengthen connection. We remind ourselves that people still care. And we leave with a renewed sense of possibility.
Because hope is not a mood. Hope is a practice.
On MLK Jr. Day, let’s practice it together.
In gratitude and community,
Loria Yeadon, President & CEO
YMCA of Greater Seattle