Groups offer volunteer opportunities for families on MLK Day

If your kids are like most around here, it's likely they have Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Around the country, people will take the day to volunteer their time to make their communities a little better and a little brighter. And there are opportunities here in the Triangle for kids to help out.

I wrote about the United Way of the Greater Triangle's Day of Service last month. Now in its 10th year, the Day of Service lines up volunteer opportunities across the Triangle for all ages on or around MLK Day. The slots fill up pretty quickly, but the folks at the United Way tell me that, at last check, there were some spaces open for kids and their families. These are projects for both kids and parents to do together.

Here are some opportunities with spots remaining:

But the day extends beyond individual efforts on Monday. For those of us who can't volunteer on Monday or have young children, the United Way is working to promote a Season of Service, which runs Jan. 20 to Feb. 28. During this time, families are encouraged to run a food drive, book drive or community baby shower.

The United Way has collection points every Friday. So you can drop the items off. The United Way will make sure they get to the right people and organization.

These could be fun, easy and meaningful activities for families, youth groups, neighborhood friends, playgroups, sports teams and more.