Answering Dr. King’s Call Through Service: Inside Martha’s Table’s MLK Day of Service

In the early morning hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, team members and volunteers began unloading paint, boxes of food, warm gloves, and tools across Southeast DC in preparation for the day’s activities. Martha’s Table MLK Day of Service honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through service, partnership, and care for the neighborhoods we call home.

For Keith Keyes, Community Development Manager at Martha’s Table, the day represented months of planning, coordination, intention, and community leadership. It reflected a belief that meaningful change happens when communities lead, and neighbors show up for one another.

“Everything we do is a service to the people,” Keith shared. “And that mirrors what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did, serving with love, purpose, and a commitment to community.”

Planning With Purpose

The MLK Day of Service is one of Martha’s Table’s annual key events — moments throughout the year when staff, volunteers, and neighbors come together to anchor ourselves deeper in our community. 

Planning for the day begins well before January. Keith and his team oversaw the logistics for all service sites, including selecting locations and ordering supplies, navigating holiday shipping delays, and delivering materials to make sure nothing was missed.

“It takes a few months to plan,” he explained. “And you’re thinking through every detail — what each site needs, how volunteers will move through the day, and how we can make the biggest impact in just eight hours.”

Community-Led From the Start

This year’s service sites were selected through community insight and partnership. We have community voices decide our decision-making for the Day of Service beautification sites to make the biggest impact. 

The Frederick Douglass Community Center was recommended by Maria Johnson, a Martha’s Table Community Activator who knows the “nooks and crannies” of Ward 8. The center may operate on a smaller scale than larger nonprofits, but its impact is deeply felt.

“These are places where neighbors go every day for support,” Keith said. “They are  doing the same work — just with less capacity. Beautification helps bring them up a notch and makes people feel comfortable and welcomed.”

The second beautification site, Covenant Baptist Church of Christ, was selected through a proposal submitted by The MINT Project, a current Community Impact Fund grantee. 

The church has played a pivotal role in Ward 8 for decades, including serving as the meeting place that helped bring the MLK Day Parade back to the neighborhood more than 20 years ago. Today, it supports young adults ages 18-24 who are experiencing homelessness, operates a low-cost daycare center, hosts a food pantry, and even lends its space to other community programs. 

“This proposal aligned perfectly with our mission,” Keith said. “It’s about people supporting people, and that’s exactly what this day is about.”

Transformation in Just Eight Hours

From 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, volunteers worked side by side to paint, clean, organize, build desks, lay flooring, and refresh each space. By the end of the day, the results were unmistakable.

“Our goal is always a before-and-after transformation in eight hours,” Keith explained. “When people walk in afterward, it shouldn’t even look like the same place.”

Beautification isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about dignity, pride, and belonging. When neighbors feel comfortable and valued in the spaces they rely on, the entire community benefits.

Service Along the Parade Route

In addition to the beautification sites, volunteers gathered at Martha’s Outfitters on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, located directly along the MLK Day Parade route. More than 500 pasta meal kit bags with recipe cards were distributed to the community, along with gloves to help neighbors stay warm during the winter weather.

The energy was amplified by the presence of Radio One DC, including Huggy Lowdown, Dominque Da Diva, and Tanisha Nichole, who joined Martha’s Table in celebrating service, connection, and community spirit.

The day was made even more special as Charlie Gussom, Director of Community Programs, was honored as a Grand Marshal in this year’s MLK Day Parade! 

Martha’s Table team members even repped Howard University’s annual MLK Day Classic against Morehouse College, Dr. King’s alma mater, where dozens of attendees supported a community service pantry drive. It was a great opportunity to meet Bison and Tiger fans who stopped by to learn more about Martha’s Table and ways to volunteer.  

For Keith, volunteering is about more than giving time; it’s about agency and legacy.

“When you give back to your community, you’re building your community,” he said. “You’re inspiring someone else to do the same. It reminds us that we’re connected — that what affects one of us affects all of us.”

That belief echoes Dr. King’s words: “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”

Join Us

Each year, Martha’s Table relies on thousands of neighbors, partners, and supporters who believe in showing up to fill over 15,000 volunteer shifts needed to sustain our mission to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities

MLK Day of Service is just one example of how collective action can transform spaces, strengthen relationships, and honor a legacy rooted in love and justice.

If you’re looking for a way to make a real difference, there’s a place for you at Martha’s Table.

Sign up today!