Honoring the life and legacy of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
A Day of Gathering
Join us on Monday, January 19, 2026 at the following locations to gather in community and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:
9:30 am -1:30 pm - scroll below for service opportunities for all ages
2:00 pm-4:00 pm - Community Gathering at Mitchell Park Community Center 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Click to Download English Flyer
Click to Download Spanish Flyer
Additional Community Events
To honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, YCS and our partners invite you to a series of activities in the mid-Peninsula Area on Sunday, Jan 18- Monday Jan 29, 2026 bringing the community together to celebrate our diverse heritage and commitment to service.
The following events are free and open to the community:
East Palo Alto MLK Jr. Day of Service, Monday, January 19th 8:30am-1pm, 951 O’Connor Street, East Palo Alto
Join fellow residents, volunteers, nonprofits, and community partners this Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a shared Day of Service focused on renewal, learning, and community care. The City of East Palo Alto will provide shuttles for volunteers to travel between service sites.
Día de Servicio en honor a Martin Luther King Jr. en East Palo Alto, lunes 19 de enero, de 8:30 a 13:00, 951 O’Connor Street, East Palo Alto. Únase a vecinos, voluntarios, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y socios comunitarios en este Día de Servicio en honor a Martin Luther King Jr., centrado en la renovación, el aprendizaje y el cuidado de la comunidad. La ciudad de East Palo Alto proporcionará transporte para que los voluntarios se desplacen entre los diferentes lugares de servicio.
Mitzvah Day 2026, Sunday, January 18th and Monday, January 19th (Project Times Vary), OFJCC and Satellite Locations
Join us on Sunday, January 18 and Monday, January 19 for two days of service. Bring your friends and family to work together on various fun and meaningful projects to bring to life Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s inspirational legacy of community service, justice and equality for all. With opportunities or all ages we hope you and your family finds a project that speaks to you and that you are excited to participate in!
MLK, Jr. Birthday Celebration: Film Screening Social Hour (“John Lewis: Good Trouble”, Sunday, January 18th 2pm, Social Hall, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto (1985 Louis Road, Palo Alto)
To honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center cordially invites you to a special film screening to be followed by a social hour featuring light snacks, beverages, and the uplifting company of other activists in these troubling times. This event is free and open to all. It is not necessary to RSVP, but doing so greatly helps our planning (so we can be sure to have enough snacks).
Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles John Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using past interviews with Lewis, director Dawn Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957.
In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figured prominently in his life.
MLK Jr. Day 2026 Celbration and Freedom Train Ride, Monday, January 19th (8:30-10am), San Mateo Caltrain, 385 First Street, San Mateo
The morning will begin with community tabling and networking at 8:30am, followed by a short program at 9:00am, before everyone boards the Freedom Train at 10:02am.
If anyone who wishes to book a ticket on the Freedom Train can do so at this link.
MLK Poetry Contest
Write a poem that captures the spirit and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The contest theme is Hand down the history. The categories and gift card prizes are: Kindergarten - 2nd grade: $25 gift card; 3rd - 5th grade: $75 gift card; 6th - 8th grade: $100 gift card; High School: $150 gift card. Winning poems will be published in the Daily Journal newspaper! The deadline is Friday, January 23. The winners will be announced on Friday, January 30th. Good luck!
For questions or more info, contact Sharon@smdailyjournal.com.
The contest URL is: www.sm-dj.com/mlkpoetry
MLK, Jr. Day of Service Gallery
