Martin Luther King Jr. on January 18 marks a day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.[1]
It’s the Girl Scout way to serve our communities and make the world a better place, and many troops have adopted MLK Day as their own day of service. But the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made serving more challenging this year. So we’ve rounded up a few new ideas of how you and your troop can volunteer around Middle Tennessee.
| Safety first! Please be sure to stay safe and responsible while you help! Always follow all social distancing and mask guidelines, our Troop Meeting Guidelines, and government regulations from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Metro Coronavirus Task Force, and Metro Health Department. And remember that while Girl Scouts can donate their time and supplies to organizations in need, Girl Scouts may not raise funds for other organizations. |
Be a Good Neighbor
Offer to help neighbors walk their dog, do yard work, or run errands for them – especially at-risk neighbors. You can also bring them treats or swap books and movies. Just make sure you pick one neighbor to dedicate your time to for any face-to-face contact so you can participate in responsible social distancing. (But you can always do doorstep drop-offs or outdoor tasks for several!)
Spread Kindness and Uplifting Messages
Write thank-you notes to healthcare providers, food bank volunteers, teachers, or troop leaders. Paint kindness stones and leave them around your neighborhood. Make inspirational posters, and place them around our community or in your window. Reach out to your local HOA, apartment complex, or other oversight entity for permission and ideas!
Offer Tech Support
If you’re technologically savvy, reach out to your neighbors, friends, or relatives and offer to serve as their “tech support hotline” that they can call with questions about online resources for staying connected, such as Zoom or Skype, or ordering groceries online. Tip: You might even consider reaching out to a local assisted-living facility to see if you can tele-visit with residents to keep their spirits up. Maybe they can teach YOU a skill, too!
Do Some (Early) Spring Cleaning
Sort through your clothes and toys, and make a box of unused items to donate. Clean out your bookshelf of older, lightly used DVDs and books, and donate them to a local children’s hospital.
Support a Local Shelter or Warming Center
Check with local shelters for needed supplies and ask how you can help during the winter months – ensuring that you are following all recommended social distancing guidelines. Tip: Make no-sew, knit, or crochet blankets that can be donated to a shelter later. Learn how here.
Host a Traditional or Virtual Food Drive
Check with your local food bank for needed food and ask how you can help – ensuring that you are following all recommended social distancing guidelines. Tip: Second Harvest Food Bank even created a way to host a Virtual Food Drive to stay involved during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Every $1 raised provides four meals to hungry people in Tennessee communities.
Make New Friends
In the time of COVID-19 and most of our lives going virtual, girls across Middle Tennessee are missing out on forging relationships and connecting in the same way they have in the past. Through the Pen Pal Program, girls will be able to correspond with each other across our 39 counties. We can’t wait to see the new friends meeting up at programs and camps in the future, all while sharing interests and supporting each other along their Girl Scout journey!
Connect with a Local Organization
Our 39 counties are full of great organizations helping people in their local communities. Check out our service opportunity guides for some specific ways to help our service area.
Download Davidson/Williamson County Service Opportunity Guide
Download Clarksville/Montgomery County Service Opportunity Guide