Want To Honor MLK? Do Community Service

Jan. 16 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where we pause to remember one of Atlanta's — and America's — favorite sons.

Several groups around East Atlanta Patch have taken his message of service to others to heart by setting up some events in different neighborhoods that are to take place that day.

Here are a few:

Downtown: Georgia State University's head basketball coach Ron Hunter and Georgia State Athletics will give 200 metro area kids who don't have shoes, footwear. The project, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Blank Family YMCA, 555 Luckie St., is in partnership with the After School All-Stars to support City of Refuge. The children are receiving the shoes through .

East Atlanta Village: , 607 Brownwood Ave. SE. The East Atlanta Community Association's Parks and Greenspace Committee's beautification goes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Key goals cleaning up the community garden, trash pick-up from the trail along the stream in the park's southern half and laying wood chips on the new path to the bridge. Volunteers: please bring work gloves. All other materials will be provided. For headcount purposes, please send an e-mail to parks@eaca.net and let them know you'll be participating.

East Lake: The Zaban Center at East Lake Park, 241 Daniel Ave. SE. Join your neighbors  at 9:00 a.m. in front of the Zaban Center for coffee and doughnuts or come at 10:00 a.m. and dive right in to continued improvements of this park that has been transformed into a family friendly gathering place thanks to the efforts of the community.

Grant Park: Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 545 Hill St. SE, hosts a commu nity day of service from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Home Depot volunteers will help beautify the school, including painting and cleaning. Volunteers from Morehouse College are sponsoring a health fair. Students will participate in service learning projects, including creating greeting cards for children in hospitals, along with participating in a food and clothing collection drive for various charitable organizations.

Sweet Auburn: Hands-On Atlanta is facilitating the Historic District Development Corp.'s mission to preserve and revitalize the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic District and other historic/preservation communities. Volunteers will clean debris from the original Atlanta Life Insurance Company building at Herndon Plaza — near 100 Auburn Ave. — do general landscaping and clean-up work around the grounds of the building. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Herndon Plaza does not have electricity or heat (generators will be provided to provide light), but organizers ask that volunteers dress please warm even if they are assigned indoor tasks.