In celebration of MLK Day, HandsOn Twin Cities hosted a virtual event in which we discussed ways volunteering can be an effective tool for creating an equitable community. The panel was be moderated by Seena Hodges, Founder and CEO of The Woke Coach. Panelists included Johnathan Palmer, Executive Director of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Laverne McCartney Knighton, Area Development Director for UNCF, and Nadege Souvenir, Senior Vice President of Operations & Learning for the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.  The topics included avoiding "voluntourism", the connection to education and action, how to be an anti-racist volunteer, and more. A video recording of the event is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Ua2F9Mx54. The tool Steps Towards Meaningful Engagement is also available as a supplement.

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From the time I was a young child, I was fortunate to learn firsthand the importance of helping others.

My father was a police officer and, at that time, many social services were not available in our small town. Police officers, like my dad, often volunteered to help individuals in need. It was not uncommon, for example, for my parents to provide a warm meal or temporary shelter to people and animals. To this day, my parents still receive a Christmas card every year from a family in Mexico that stayed with us for two weeks after they were robbed.