United Way given MLK Day project grant

VW independent/submitted information

The local United Way agency has received a state grant to help it with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day project here in Van Wert.

ServeOhio, the Governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, announced grant awards to support 10 local Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service projects occurring Monday, January 18. Much like Dr. King’s legacy, the grants will help nonprofits across the state improve their communities through service and volunteer activities. The grants will fund service projects in eight Ohio cities led by more than 300 volunteers.  

To ensure the safety of all volunteers, all grantees have safety procedures in place and are following recommendations from the Ohio Department of Health to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Each project commits to bringing volunteers together to create or improve community assets or infrastructure and supports local community engagement and impact. Additionally, every project includes an education component based on Dr. King’s message of peace, unity, and service to create long-term, sustainable change.  

“Following a year of hardship and uncertainty, volunteers statewide remain dedicated to leaving their communities better than they found them,” shared William Hall, ServeOhio executive director. “We are proud to support projects like these that have a lasting impact and remind us all that Dr. King’s legacy of service continues to live on.”  

ServeOhio awards these grants with support from their 2020-2021 partners American Electric Power Foundation and AmeriCorps. Each grant totals between $600-$2,000.  

The United Way grant will allow 20 volunteers to assemble school grab bags to support food insecure students in Van Wert (volunteers will pack bags and place them in the school closest to be distributed to students in quarantine).

In addition to these service projects funded by ServeOhio, thousands of individuals across the state will volunteer in their communities on January 18 in remembrance of Dr. King and his life of service. Volunteers interested in serving in their community this MLK Day or at any time throughout the year can visit Get Connected, ServeOhio’s recently launched statewide volunteer engagement platform.